A Change of Fate
by thesleepingsiren
Summary: Percy Jackson's life changed the second Sally Jackson was murdered. Alone at the age of eight, the goddess of the hearth takes him in a raises him as her own. When Percy is sent to save Bianca and Nico di Angelo, he meets unexpected friends and embarks on a quest that will change his life. Perzoë (discontinued)
1. Chapter 1

**This is a rewrite of my story, A Change of Fate! I like this chapter a lot more than my last and I'm excited for this! I'll be changing up the plot a little but it will still be Perzoë.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson**

Percy Jackson's life had fallen apart at only age eight. Manhattan's streets were crowded and busy, not a place for an eight-year-old. It was all because of his lousy stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, nicknamed "Smelly Gabe" by the boy.

Percy tried to push the images of his mother's lifeless body out of his mind; the blood that had pooled around her head and the last word she would ever say to anyone: "Run." The images wouldn't escape him, no matter what he tried. He collapsed onto the ground, sobs wracking his small frame. The New Yorkers around him didn't seem to notice.

"Are you alright, little one?" A soft voice asked, the hustle and bustle of New York City seemingly ceasing to exist around the two.

Percy looked over to see a woman who must have just turned twenty kneeling next to him. Her hair was a chocolate brown and her brown eyes flickered like flames. He simply shook his head in response.

Concern flashed on the woman's face. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Percy brushed a few tears out of his eyes, ignoring her question. "Who are you?"

The woman gave him a soft smile. She didn't know why she had simply assumed that he'd tell her everything. It had been a while since she'd been anywhere other than her hearth. "My name is Hestia. And yours?"

"Percy Jackson." He answered. "Are you going to hurt me?" He asked timidly, scared that he had traded one threat for another.

Hestia shook her head. "I would never." Sincerity bled into her words. Whatever had happened to this child, she would never let it happen again. She didn't know if her brother even knew that this was his child, but she at least owed it to him to protect his mortal son.

Percy's sea green eyes met Hestia's brown ones. The goddess could feel the sadness that radiated from them, but felt the glimmer of hope deep inside. "Pinky promise?"

Hestia chuckled, extending him pinky. "Pinky promise." She promised, intertwining their fingers. "Now can you tell me what happened?"

Percy frowned, but nodded. "My momma, she's gone. Smelly Gabe got her."

Hestia's heart softened as she heard this and wrapped the boy in a tight embrace. "It will be alright, little one."

The demigod relaxed in the goddess' embrace, trying to keep more tears from falling. "Will it?" He mumbled, pulling away to look up at her.

"I promised, didn't I?" Hestia grinned, and Percy put aside his worries for the moment and smiled back. "Now do you trust me? We must leave, I cannot keep these people ignorant for long."

Percy tilted his head in confusion, questions racing through his mind. "What do you mean?" He wasn't going to add that he had no idea what ignorant meant either.

"I'll explain when you get there. Pinky promise." She said, interlacing their fingers again, teleporting them away.

Percy felt a warm heat surround his body, comforting him and chasing away his fears as he traveled through the flames. He looked up to see a simple brown cabin that reminded him of home.

"Come, let's go inside." Hestia said, holding Percy's hand as she led him inside and to the couch.

"I don't know how to say this in any other way, but the Greek Gods exist. In fact, I am one of them."

"You're _the_ Hestia, goddess of family?" Percy asked, gob smacked.

The goddess nodded. "We all exist, here in America."

Percy looked up at his savior in awe. "Can you prove it?" The goddess nodded, opening her palm as flames licked her hand. The glow illuminated the demigod's face, and his eyes lit up in wonder.

"It won't hurt you." The goddess smiled. "Promise."

Percy reached his hand out to the flame. When his hand made contact with the flame it felt like the living embodiment of hope, nothing like the harsh flames he had seen before.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Hestia said, closing her hand causing the flame to disappear.

"You're really a goddess." Percy tackled her into a hug. "Thank you for saving me." He muttered into her shirt.

She smiled. "You're very welcome. But I do have more to say. Your father, he's a god too. Poseidon—"

"God of the seas." Percy said meekly, and at Hestia's questioning look he elaborated. "My mom talked about him a lot."

He seemed to deflate, sinking into the couch cushions. "Why didn't he help me like you did?"

Hestia pulled him closer. "There are Ancient Laws that we cannot defy. Your father couldn't visit you."

"I don't want him to be my dad. He was never a dad to me."

The goddess sighed, but understood. The Olympian's disregard for their children would lead to their downfall. "You don't have to see him as your dad, Percy. But don't hate him for abiding by the Ancient Laws."

"O-bide-ing?" Percy questioned, not understanding what the word meant.

"Following, obeying." Hestia clarified with a smile.

Percy nodded, but stayed silent for a minute. "Does the Underworld exist too?"

Hestia nodded, but was surprised of the boy's knowledge of Greek Mythology. It made sense for his mother to teach him about it though, as it was very much his life.

"Will my mom go to the good place?" Percy asked, and Hestia softened.

"Of course she will go to Elysium. I can talk to my brother Hades to make sure she goes as soon as possible. Can you tell me her name? I don't want to take you down to the Underworld just yet."

Percy brightened. "Sally Jackson. She was the best." He frowned but he knew his mother would be glad her was safe. He trusted Hestia, and he knew she would too.

"I will be back, little one." The goddess said. "Stay here, it should only take a minute."

Hestia disappeared in flames, appearing outside of DOA Recording Studios in Los Angeles. "Hello Charon. Has a Sally Jackson passed through yet?"

Charon looked up, perking up as he noticed the goddess. She had visited often to see Hades and occasionally brought Charon an Italian suit, knowing that he adored them. "Not yet, but I can take her through with you if you'd like."

Hestia nodded. "Thank you, Charon."

"Sally Jackson?" He called into the crowded room, and a woman quickly stood up. Bruises littered her body and she looked frightful, as if she'd break with just one push.

"Yes?" She said, walking up to the counter.

"Your admittance has been expedited, Hestia will take you down." Charon said, leading the two to the elevator. "The boat will take you across on its own. I'll assume I'm not needed for your conversation."

Hestia smiled. "Thank you."

"Lady Hestia, what's going on?" The mortal asked, fearful that something truly terrible was going to happen. "Do you know if my son is okay?"

Hestia smiled as the elevator descended. "Percy is fine. He is safe with me, do not worry. I am just here to seek an audience with my brother to expedite your placement in Elysium."

Sally's blue eyes looked up to the goddess, tackling her into a hug. "Thank you." She repeated, tears forming in her eyes. She finally pulled away. "Keep him safe, and tell him I love him more than anything."

"I will." She vowed as the elevator doors opened. They boarded the boat, and Sally animatedly told stories of Percy when he was little. Hestia laughed at each and every one, Sally was meant to be a storyteller.

The disembarked and Hestia lead Sally towards the judgement area. "Wait here, I will speak to Hades."

Sally nodded. "Promise me that you'll be the mother that I can no longer be to him."

"I promise, Sally." Hestia said as she walked towards her brother's palace. She had always found the Underworld beautiful yet haunting. She entered the large doors to see Hades sitting on his throne, waiting for her.

"Sister, what brings you here?" Hades asked, glad to see his sister. She was the only one who ever visited him, and he was grateful.

"I ask for you to let Sally Jackson into Elysium immediately. She has lived with an abusive mortal to protect her son, she deserves it."

Hades' faces softened. "I will, Hestia." Alecto entered and exchanged a few words with the god, and then flew away. "Who's child did she bear?"

Hestia looked away for a minute. "Poseidon's."

The god of the Underworld's aura flickered with anger. "How dare he!"

Hestia grabbed her brother's arm in comfort. "Do not blame the boy, Hades. It isn't his fault. You would like him."

Hades looked at his sister skeptically. "I hope to meet him some day."

The goddess chuckled. "I guess that is as good as it will get. Thank you. I must be going." She once again disappeared in flames, reappearing in her cabin.

Percy jumped up from the couch crushed her into a hug the second she arrived.

"Nice to see you too, Percy." She laughed, ruffling his hair.

"Is my mother alright?"

Hestia nodded, and Percy sighed in relief. "She says that she loves you."

"I love her too." Percy said, sitting back down on the couch.

Hestia sat down next to him. "She told me that she wanted me to be your mother, now that she cannot. I will never replace Sally, but you can be my adoptive son."

Percy tackled her into another hug. "Yes!" He squealed. "Momma would me to have you as my new mom."

The goddess smiled. "Now I must officially adopt you. I, Hestia, goddess of the hearth and family, herby adopt Percy Jackson as my son." Percy glowed orange—the same color as Hestia's flames—as Hestia's power coursed through his veins. "I will teach you how to control your fire and water powers soon, my little one. But it is getting late, and you have had a long day."

Percy yawned on queue. "M'kay." He said, letting Hestia lead him up to a plain bedroom up the stairs.

"Goodnight, Percy."

"Goodnight, Mom." Percy replied, quickly drifting off into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**I wrote another chapter way faster than I'll ever update in the future. I'm a very slow updater, so I apologize. There's another author's note at the end, because I had to change up a myth. If you know a lot about myths, I can hopefully explain it all then.**

Percy attacked his opponent with precision and skill that made it seem that he had been fighting since he was a toddler. He unleashed attacks with skill and his unpredictable nature made him a formidable opponent in battle.

Hestia often told him that he was unpredictable, just like the sea. Although Percy didn't like thinking of Poseidon as his father, he still loved everything water-related.

Percy attempted a simple disarming maneuver, knocking his opponent's blade out of her hand. He quickly pressed his sword to her throat.

"I surrender. You've gotten quite good." Hestia said, smiling. Percy sheathed his sword. "You'll need a better teacher. I am a peaceful goddess, I am not nearly as good as most, but many still assume I never practice."

Her son nodded. His mother preferred pretty much anything over violence, as her family often resorted to combat. But many assumed she was out of practice, but she quite enjoyed sword fighting. She would _never_ fight in a war—it was against her nature—but it didn't keep her from learning.

"I think it might be time for you to visit your uncle." The goddess said, and Percy grinned. "He might be able to lend a soul to help you out."

"Let's go!" Percy exclaimed excitedly, grabbing his mother's hand as she traveled through the fire to Hades' palace. Gods couldn't enter each other's domains without permission, but Hades had given Hestia permission to enter the Underworld whenever she pleased. He didn't have many visitors in the first place.

As they traveled through the flames, Percy fantasized for the day he'd finally be able to do the same. He was decent with his powers, but they were hard to master. He was much better with his water powers as they were in his blood. Hestia also wanted Percy to be able to use both at the same time, a very difficult feat for the nine-year-old. Fire and water conflicted each other, but Percy was grasping the ability to find the balance.

Percy opened his eyes to Hades' magnificent palace, gasping in awe. The walls were pitch black with silver accents, and the Lord of the Underworld's throne was breathtaking. It was made of black marble, with skulls placed delicately on its arms. Percy found it terrifyingly beautiful. The god himself was seated on the throne, and the demigod could instantly tell how lonely he felt. He had a tablet in hand, and was typing away furiously.

The god's obsidian eyes darted towards the two, immediately focusing on the boy. "Uncle Hades." Percy said with a bow, Hestia smiling next to him. She had taught Percy to respect gods who warranted respect, and was proud Percy could read Hades so quickly.

"Is this your child?" Hades said, lazily pointing a finger towards the boy, who had now risen from his bow. Hades refused to let it be known that the boy had peaked his interest.

Hestia nodded. "Percy." She now turned towards the boy. "This is your uncle, Hades, which you already know."

Percy pulled on his mother's arm, and she leaned down to hear what he had to say. "Why is he so lonely?" He whispered, but Hades could still hear.

The god flushed, almost wanting to destroy the boy right where he stood, but he could tell Percy meant no malice in his statement. He was simply curious, and Hades could understand that.

"I am not lonely." The god lied.

"Mom, he's a bad liar." Percy whispered again. "I think I would be lonely too." He added as an afterthought.

Hades suppressed a grin, unsure of exactly why he wanted to grin in the first place. He was the Lord of the Underworld; he did not find nine-year-olds—especially ones of his brother—entertaining.

"I told you that you would like him." Hestia said, seeing through her brother's façade.

"I don't know what you're going on about, sister." Hades denied. "Now, what has brought you both here?"

Percy looked up to his mother, who spoke for him. "There is not much left I can teach Percy in combat. I was wondering if you could lend a soul."

Hades shook his head. "I cannot let souls leave the Underworld." He almost melted at the sight of his nephew's sad face, and quickly continued. "He could stay here for most of the year—just not winter. Persephone would most likely be confused as to why I'm housing a son of Hestia. There would be many questions I do not wish to answer."

The goddess smiled, glad her brother had come up with a compromise. She looked to Percy, who nodded excitedly. The demigod wanted to learn how to fight, and spend some time with his family.

"Will you be able to visit me?" Percy asked his mother, who nodded. The demigod looked from his mother to Hades. "Will I be safe?" He asked.

Hades nodded. "I will not let you be harmed."

"Pinky promise?" Percy asked with a smile, and Hades looked down at him with confusion. Hestia chuckled from behind her son, encouraging Hades to do as her son asked.

Hades tentatively extended his finger, standing up from his throne. Percy smiled as their fingers interlaced. It had quickly become Percy's way of swearing on the Styx, and Hestia found it adorable.

"Percy, you stay here with Hades while I grab your things. My brother will show you around." Hestia said, and before anyone could say anything, disappeared in a burst of flames.

Hades silently cursed his sister for leaving him alone with the child so unexpectedly. "Follow me."

Hades led his nephew out of the palace, making sure to steer clear of the Fields of Punishment. Percy didn't need to be exposed to the horrors of the Underworld at a year shy of ten. At some point in their walk, Percy had grabbed the god's hand, causing Hades to blush. Percy was enthralled with the Isles of the Blest and Elysium. Hades, oddly enough, let the demigod play with Cerberus. He even told him what Cerberus' name really meant, which left Percy in fits of laughter.

"Now, promise you won't go over there," Hades pointed to the Fields of Punishment, which were just in view. "Alright?"

Percy nodded, following Hades back to the palace. They walked in silence for a few moments, until Percy said, "It's very pretty."

Hades looked down at the boy in confusion. Did he just call the Underworld, the home of the dead, pretty?

"It is!" Percy protested, laughing as they approached the palace once again. "Your palace is beautiful! And the Isles of the Blest are even more magnificent than I would have thought!"

Hades chuckled. "I guess you're right." They approached the palace doors. "I'll show you to your room."

He led his nephew through the palace, with Percy animatedly talking about his life. When they finally reached Percy's new room, Hestia was sitting on the bed. She had set up the room, all of Percy's belongings tucked neatly into the drawers.

"Mom!" Percy said excitedly, jumping onto his bed next to her. "Uncle Hades showed me all around the Underworld! He showed me Cerberus!"

Hades stood in the doorway, but let out a chuckle. "Cerberus has taken quite a liking to your son." Hestia laughed

"Has he told you what Cerberus means?" Percy asked excitedly, practically bouncing on the bed. Hades had told his sister, but she wasn't about to spoil her son's excitement.

Hestia shook her head. "No, he hasn't." She gave a look to her brother who still stood in the corner. She knew that this wasn't a story he told often. Hades had an involuntary smile on his face.

"It means spot!" Percy said excitedly. "Isn't that right, Uncle Hades!"

The two looked up to Hades, who nodded. Hestia gestured for him to sit on the bed, and Hades moved over to awkwardly sit on the edge of the bed. "You can't tell anyone, Percy." Hades chided half-heartedly. "Cerberus still has to keep his terrifying appearance, even if he really likes to play fetch."

Percy nodded, smiling but with a stern face. "I promise."

Hestia stood up. "I must be going." She planted a kiss to Percy's head. "I'll see you both soon." Percy watched as she teleported away in flames.

"Ready to get started with your training?" Hades asked, and Percy's face brightened, nodding vigorously. "Grab my hand. I'll shadow travel us to the training arena."

Percy nodded, until he felt the terrible sensation of shadow travelling. It felt as if his insides were being torn apart, and the terrible feeling of darkness all around him. The second he felt he couldn't take it anymore, it ended. Percy fell to his knees, and Hades immediately went into full-panic.

"Percy!" Hades' eyes were wide. "I'm sorry, I forgot that you haven't shadow-travelled before."

Percy finally stood up, waving it off. "I'm fine, Uncle Hades. Little warning next time." He dusted off his pants.

Hades nodded. "I'll warn you next time. Are you ready to start your training?" Percy nodded. "Good."

The god began to test Percy on his skills and natural instincts. Even though he had very little training, Percy could probably already best most, if not all, of the campers at Camp Half Blood. He was terrible at archery, but decent with everything else.

"You're very good with a sword, so you'll start a little bit ahead in that aspect. You'll learn how to wield daggers and archery, and I can help you with your powers on weekends. Sounds good?"

"Yup." Percy said, popping the 'p.' "Will I be able to practice on weekends too?"

Hades chuckled lightly. "You may, yes, but your teachers will not be able to help you. They need breaks as well."

Percy nodded. "Can I meet my teachers?"

Hades pulled out a tablet, nodding. "Let me send Alecto for them." A few seconds later, Alecto appeared with two figures.

"My Lord, who is this?" She asked, wary of the half blood.

Hades signaled for her to stand down. "My nephew, Percy Jackson, adopted son of Hestia." Alecto nodded warily, and flew away.

Standing in front of Percy was an oddly familiar man who couldn't have been older than twenty with short blonde hair, and an injured ankle. An intimidating blonde woman who seemed to be of the same age stood next to him, a bow strapped to her back and daggers strapped to her side.

"Percy, meet Achilles and Atalanta, your tutors for your stay in the Underworld."

 **Okay so bear with me as I explain Atalanta and Achilles. First, ages in Greek Mythology are weird so I just set them to be not yet twenty. Also, for those of you who know this myth of Atalanta, she was turned into a lion. That didn't happen, because that's just not how this story will go. It's not going to change anything, but just for those who were wondering. I'm also having her as a previous hunter. If you're a huge mythology buff, it doesn't really fit because Atalanta wasn't a maiden... but whatever. I really like Greek Mythology too, but for this to all work this is how it'll go.**

 **Essentially, in this story, Atalanta was a hunter who is now dead, long story short. Sorry for any confusion!**


	3. Chapter 3

**This is a terribly short chapter. I would say it's more of a filler, because as weird as it seems it's actually pretty important. The plot will end up being a lot different than the original A Change of Fate. I have my plans, I promise.**

 **Also, Percy will be twelve in the next chapter. I'm adding something I really wanted to add in the old version and it happens when Percy's twelve. Maybe you can guess what it is? Regardless, sorry for the short chapter!**

Ten-year-old Percy's arrow soared to its mark, piercing the target. From fifty meters, it was quite a miracle. His previously abysmal archery had started to get drastically better day by day. Atalanta had hope that by the time he was eleven or twelve, he could match the skills of a hunter. Knowing Percy's determination, it was definitely a possibility.

"Again!" Atalanta demanded. Percy followed her orders, the arrow narrowly missing the last.

"Again!" Atalanta demanded time after time. Percy continuously fired a volley of arrows at the target with such precision that many of the arrows split. "Hm. Didn't expect you to be able to do all of this."

Percy smirked, lowering his bow. "I had a great teacher."

Atalanta rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, little brother." She paused. "That's all for today. Lord Hades asked I end our lesson early, as he will be gone this weekend for the Winter Solstice."

The son of Hestia nodded, waving a quick goodbye as he walked to his uncle's palace. As he walked by, he once again saw Elysium. Over the years, Elysium had become an object of the boy's affection. Just seeing the place, knowing his birth mother was there, was enough to make him want to be there too.

He pushed the ornate doors open, smiling as his hand traced the bronze figures decorating the walls. He entered his uncle's throne room silently, nodding in respect as he entered.

"Percy, I'm glad Atalanta got my message. Instead of a normal lesson, you will be learning endurance with your powers. It is necessary that I see how long you can last." Hades said, uncharacteristically smiling. He wouldn't admit it, but this was something he was beyond excited to see. His nephew was a natural with his abilities. He had even learned to use the both at once, in harmony. It was truly a sight to see.

"Okay, Uncle Hades. In the palace?" He asked, and his uncle shook his head with a smile. Percy immediately caught the gist, disappearing into flames. He reappeared in what he called the training room, which had an Olympic sized pool so he could practice his powers. Percy still had no idea exactly where the room was, and his uncle wouldn't tell him.

Hades appeared across from him, goading his nephew to begin.

Percy nodded, diving into the water. He felt the rush of adrenaline as his body reacted to its natural element; the rush of energy as he took his first breath underwater. He surfaced with a small hurricane surrounding him. Percy controlled it to set him down on the edge of the pool then dissipate.

Percy then began to create small creatures—mostly hellhounds and pegasi—out of water, the creatures dancing around them. He was starting to become exhausted by his powers, but he had yet to tap into the magic of it all. The son of Hestia felt the tug in his gut as half of the pool lifted, and then was thrown at Hades. Miraculously, Percy had practiced with his powers enough so that he missed Hades, forming a Hades sized dry spot on the wall.

Now, Percy could say he was dead on his feet. He sat down so his feet were in the water and then continued. His body lit up into flames, illuminating the room. He put himself out and conjured a ball of fire in his hand, aiming it to hit next to Hades' head. Luckily, his aim was perfect.

Hades hated being targeted by his nephew. He knew that the demigod would never hurt him, but having fire thrown at you was terrifying.

Percy took a minute to compose himself and keep from passing out. Unfortunately, the amount of power he had displayed was far too much for his ten-year-old body to handle.

As the demigod fell into unconsciousness, he left a flicker of a flame on his hand—but this time it felt different. He couldn't place exactly how, but it felt more alive. It felt more powerful, more destructive. The last thing he saw was his uncle's concerned face before his vision faded to black.

* * *

When Percy woke up, he felt like his stomach had been microwaved. Every bone in his body ached. He winced, sitting up in bed. His mother was sleeping soundly next to him, but there was exhaustion to her features.

He gently touched her arm, but a voice stopped him. "Let her rest for a moment." Hades said as he entered the room. The god hugged his nephew, hoping that nothing like this would ever happen again. Percy smiled, relaxing in his uncle's embrace.

"Percy, there is much we need to talk about." Hades' face was serious, but Percy wasn't paying attention.

Percy ignored his uncle's words. "How long was I out?"

Hades looked to the wall, knowing the boy would be angry. "A week."

The demigod had to refrain from gasping or panicking. How much had he missed in a week? He would be behind on training! "A week! How?"

Hades nodded. "There is a much more pressing issue. What is the last thing you remember as you were passed out?"

It took Percy a minute to think back on it. "I felt fire on my palm." He paused. "But it felt different, more powerful."

The Lord of the Underworld nodded gravely. "I feared so. Percy, you may not realize this, but what you controlled was Greek fire."

The son of Hestia was floored. He had never heard of a demigod being able to control such an unpredictable element like Greek fire before. "How?"

The god merely shrugged. "To put it simply, I think you using all of your powers at once let us see the abilities we didn't know about."

Before Percy could say anything in response he felt his mother stir next to him. He squeezed her hand and she jumped up, tackling him into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're awake! I was so worried." She said, slightly panicked. Although she was a goddess, she hadn't gotten any sort of rest in the last week. "Was my brother recounting what happened?" Hades nodded, and Hestia's face fell.

"How do I have this ability, mom?" Percy asked, squeezing her hand for comfort. He loved his uncle, but his mother never failed to soothe him. "Uncle Hades said I shouldn't be able to."

Hestia shared a look with her brother. "It should be impossible. Demigods have never been able to control it before."

Percy shrunk into his bed, and Hades sighed. "It is not all bad. Although we don't know exactly why you have this ability, it is very powerful. Hestia will train you to master it, as it is not a power you can let get out of your control."

The son of Hestia nodded, a fierce determination flashing in his eyes. He _would_ learn to use his new fire abilities completely. He by no means wanted or planned to use this power, but it could be very useful in life or death situations.

He yawned, laying back down; he was truly exhausted.

"We'll let you sleep," Hades said, and Hestia stood up as well. They exited quietly as Percy drifted back into sleep.

"Hestia, I believe this ability means he will be under much more scrutiny than we have ever expected."

Hestia nodded sadly. "He will be powerful."

"Yes, he will be." Hades paused and squeezed his sister's hand. "I have no doubts that he will be the prophecy child. Even if Zeus has a daughter."

A few tears slipped out of the goddess' eyes. "I know." Hades wrapped an arm around his sister protectively as she began to sob. The Lord of the Underworld let a single tear slip from his eye. He loved his nephew, and didn't want this fate for him. The tear was quickly brushed away and forgotten.

Hestia looked up at her brother, determination in her eyes. "Train him to be the best he can be."

Hades nodded. "I will."

The goddess of the hearth walked over to the door, sitting down next to her son as she entered. "You will be a hero, my little one." The goddess whispered, holding his hand. "I know it."


	4. Chapter 4

**Ahhh! This chapter ended up being much longer than I expected. Honestly I'm really pumped. I don't exactly love this chapter, but I feel proud enough with how it turned out. Next chapter Percy will be fourteen, and then I won't be skipping around with his age so much from then on. I'm really excited to introduce more demigods! Also, there are some demigods in this chapter! This story, as it says in the description, will be Perzoë.**

 **Also, it ended up kind of like a cliffhanger? I don't really know why it feels like one to me but there's nothing else that needs to happen before Percy turns 14.**

Something was off, Percy could feel it. At only twelve years old, he had learned to trust his gut more than anything else.

Even his uncle had been quite odd. After he'd told Percy about his missing helm and Zeus' bolt, he had canceled lessons for the week, which Percy had understood. But now, something was _very_ wrong. Something in the Underworld was amiss.

"Are you alright, Perseus?" Achilles asked, lowering his sword. Despite Percy's constant protests, Achilles had never called him Percy. The son of Hestia had begun to think that the hero found his irritation entertaining.

"There's something wrong." He stated. "I know it." Percy turned back to Achilles. "May I go?"

Achilles sighed, but nodded. "Be careful, Perseus. I know your instincts are often correct. Run along."

Percy grinned at his mentor, running off to find Atalanta. They had become siblings, and Atalanta was always excited for an adventure.

Hades had given the two late heroes free-roam of the Underworld, after they had sworn on the Styx that they wouldn't attempt to leave. Even though they were dead, the punishment still applied.

Percy spotted Atalanta at the outskirts of Elysium, and called her over. Hades had never let Percy truly experience Elysium, but the god had promised that he could one day.

"I was about to obliterate them." She said with a mock-frown, gesturing towards a group of people who seemed to be having an archery competition. Noticing his serious expression, she softened. "What's the matter?"

The son of Hestia sighed, explaining the odd feeling. Atalanta paled. She had learned many times that when Percy had a feeling, it was usually right. "You're gonna help me, right?"

She nodded. "We can go check on Cerberus. If something's the matter, he should know."

Percy agreed, and they walked to the Gates of the Underworld.

"What do you think's going on, Perce?" Atalanta asked, quite curious.

He shrugged. "Something bad. I almost feel…" He trailed off. Atalanta elbowed him, and he continued. "Like there's someone here."

Atalanta tilted her head in confusion. "You don't think…"

"That people are here? Without permission?" He confirmed, and saying it aloud it sounded slightly insane. "It would make sense." The mood of the Underworld had flipped, making Percy feel as if someone else was there. Of course, he was a live demigod in the Underworld, but he was allowed to be here. Whoever these people were, were most definitely not.

Atalanta's bow and quiver materialized on her back, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Percy had his hand in his pocket, clutching Riptide, waiting for someone to jump out and attack them.

"Oh gods." The deceased hunter swore as she saw Cerberus in front of them. Cerberus wasn't the thing she was worried about—it was the three demigods who were just getting past him.

"Holy Hera." Percy said, pulling Atalanta out of the demigods' line of sight. His eyes were wide in fear. "Why are demigods here?"

Atalanta looked just as affronted as Percy, shrugging.

"Oh my gods. They're here because of Zeus' Bolt." Percy realized, paling. "Uncle Hades was telling me that his helm was stolen too, but he wouldn't have said anything. They must have assumed it was him." Percy said with a frown. Why did everyone always assume it was Hades? His uncle was a good person, but everyone assumed he was evil.

Percy watched as the blonde girl was holding a red rubber ball, with something written on it. Percy figured she was a daughter of Athena, if her blonde hair and grey eyes weren't proof enough.

In front of her were two more boys, one a satyr and the other… Percy frowned. He recognized the boy's sea green eyes and dark hair. He felt his power—albeit it was very little—and the ocean that surely ran through his veins.

Atalanta squeezed his shoulder, clearly coming to the same conclusion. He didn't want to turn around and face her gaze of pity.

He still hadn't forgiven his 'father.' He had never seen him as a father, but knew better than to hold a strong resentment against a powerful god. Poseidon had also given him his abilities over water, and he wouldn't trade that for the god to not be his father.

He shook the thoughts out of his head and continued to examine the group. The satyr had a wispy beard, and horns barely peeking out of his curly hair. He looked quite terrified, which Percy understood. Satyrs didn't enjoy being underground, whatsoever, from what he'd heard.

They finally were close enough so Percy and Atalanta could overhear their conversation.

"I'm telling you, there's another half-blood here!" The satyr exclaimed, stopping. The group halted, and turned to look at him. "I can smell it! It's a mix of…" He paused. "The ocean and a campfire."

The boy laughed, which Percy thought was quite rude. The satyr could problem smell Percy, and his 'brother' seemed to think that he was a joke. "You're a fluke, Grover. You're probably just sensing my power."

Percy resisted the urge to throw a fireball at his head, when the blonde girl pushed him instead. "Orion!" She said, and Percy could _feel_ the anger in her voice. "Ever say that about my friends again and I'll kill you."

The boy—Orion—scoffed. "As if. You couldn't kill me if you tried."

Before the girl could say anything in response, Grover, the satyr, stepped in. "Come on, Annabeth. Faster we go the quicker we get this quest over."

Annabeth nodded reluctantly, and the three continued walking. Percy and Atalanta let them walk by, not moving a muscle until they were far out of earshot.

"I hate him." Percy said simply, and Atalanta nodded. Orion seemed to be the exact kind of male she hated, much like his original counterpart.

"The girl, Annabeth, I think, would make a great hunter." Atalanta added, and Percy chuckled.

"Always looking for new recruits, even after death." Percy replied. "Wanna go follow them?"

Atalanta grinned and nodded. "Of course." They followed them like true hunters—which they clearly were. Their footsteps made no sound as they snuck through the Underworld.

Percy quickly grew tired of Orion's constant whining. How the daughter of Athena hadn't put an arrow through his skull was beyond Percy. He certainly would have.

The son of Hestia found that just from observing Grover he was someone he would have been friends with. The satyr was timid, but Percy could tell he carried a weight on his shoulders.

He wasn't very updated on current events in the mortal world, but he did know a fair amount of the important events in the demigod world. His mind jumped to Thalia. He resisted smacking himself. Annabeth and Grover were Thalia's friends. The ones she died for, and a guy named Luke.

Sometimes, he had to thank his ADHD for making the connections for him.

They kept walking until Orion's shoes acted up. Percy recognized them as something similar to Hermes' winged shoes. Why would a son of Poseidon even wear flying shoes in the first place? That seemed to be a major lapse in judgement.

He somehow managed to knock them off before he was dragged into Tartarus. Annabeth goaded them along, seemingly desperate to get away from there. Orion was oddly hesitant, but they pulled him along.

"They're entering Uncle Hades' Palace." Percy said with a frown. He wanted to know more about these people. Annabeth and Grover seemed very nice, but this supposed brother of his was intriguing. He was cocky and, as far as Percy could gather, a terrible person. "I guess that's it then."

Atalanta punched him in the arm. "Idiot. You can fire travel into a hallway." He looked up at her in awe for thinking of it. "Yeah, yeah, I'm amazing. Just get us in there. You're not the only one who's interested in these kids."

Percy rolled his eyes but grabbed her hand, travelling them until they were right outside of Hades' throne room. They positioned themselves so they were hidden behind a conveniently placed oddly-shaped plant. Persephone sure had odd tastes.

"You stole the bolt." Orion said bluntly. Percy could practically feel Hades' anger.

"I did no such thing. You stole both my helm and Zeus' bolt, son of Poseidon." Hades replied with malice, and Percy actually felt a little hurt. He pushed it aside; it wasn't as if anyone thought of him as a son of Poseidon—besides Poseidon himself.

Annabeth ripped the bag from Orion's hands and opened it. She gasped as she saw the master bolt, glowing with power. A growl slipped out of her throat as she looked upon the demigod.

Percy could already tell Orion hadn't stolen the bolt. He was obviously a terrible liar and the pure shock on his face was something that couldn't have been faked.

Annabeth quickly seemed to deduce this as well.

"Ares." Grover said, and the room seemingly turned towards him.

"Grover, do you have the pearls?" Annabeth asked, and he nodded.

Hades looked on in confusion. Percy assumed he had deduced that neither of these demigods were the culprit, and now just wanted to see what was going on. But with Hades, Percy never really knew.

Grover tossed a pearl to both Annabeth and Orion. Annabeth caught it, while it just dissolved under Orion's feet as he failed, miserably, to catch it. He quickly dissolved into mist, floating to the ceiling and disappearing.

Annabeth rolled her eyes as both she and Grover threw the pearls below their feet. "We'll return your helm, Lord Hades." She said sincerely, as they turned into a sea mist, starting to float up into the ceiling.

Hades' confusion was evident in his voice. "I misjudged you, godling." He said quietly, right before they hit the ceiling and disappeared. He sat there silently for a moment until he snapped his fingers, and Percy could tell that he was somehow signaling the three furies.

Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone entered through the heavy palace doors. They walked in complete formation, Alecto in front with Megaera and Tisiphone flanking her on each side. "You have called for us, my Lord?"

Hades nodded. "Follow the three demigods that have just left the Underworld. They will reappear somewhere in the sea, presumably nearby. A son of Poseidon, a daughter of Athena and a satyr. Watch them, do not kill."

They nodded and flew away. "Percy, Atalanta, I can sense you."

Percy blushed. He and Atalanta stepped out from behind their hiding spot, Atalanta standing tall. Gods, Percy wished he could have Atalanta's courage.

"I am not mad, Percy." Hades said with a slight smile. "Atalanta can clearly sense that."

Atalanta laughed, but gave a quick yet respectful bow. "I am still sorry for looking on, Lord Hades."

Hades waved a hand. "Not a problem, but I presume I have much to explain. Atalanta, Diane is waiting for you in the Underworld." Atalanta nodded and took her leave.

The god stepped down from his throne. He sat down on the steps, gesturing for Percy to do the same. "There are things in this world that are expected of me. I am the evil one, the one who seeks revenge by sending monsters after my enemies."

Hades sighed, but continued. "I hold grudges. But I do not hate every demigod. I hate those like Orion, who see themselves as superior to everyone else. I sent monsters after Thalia to get back at Zeus. Whenever anything happens, the blame is thrown at me."

"I know I am not a perfect person. I do regret that Thalia died, she deserved to live. She was strong and she was a fighter. But I hate my brother more than anything for what he took away from me."

"What did he take?" Percy questioned. He was surprised to hear all of this from his uncle. He knew that his uncle was partly at fault for the death of Thalia, but he somehow didn't hate the god. Percy understood what it felt like to hold so much hate towards someone that you'd do anything to just get back at them.

After all, he already had. Percy had asked Hades to send Alecto after Gabe. When he died, he was immediately sentenced to the Fields of Punishment. Even at a young age, Percy had thought of some very terrible punishments for his abusive stepfather.

Hades looked away, taking a deep breath. "Before the pact, I had two children; a lover too. Zeus killed her. I was able to save my children and hide them away in the Lotus Casino, where time stands still."

"Percy, you must never tell anyone that you stayed here, unless you know that you can trust them with your life. Your mother is the only one who speaks to me without being asked to. No matter what I will do I will always be the villain to the Olympians and their children. I do not want you to become the same."

"I will never understand why, Uncle." Percy frowned. He paused for a moment. "I will not tell anyone I was here. But I will find a way to make you recognized as something other than a villain, a savior."

Hades smiled. "Thank you, Percy. Maybe someday you will be the one to retrieve my children from the casino."

Percy smiled. He would do just that. His uncle deserved happiness. He deserved to get to know his own children.


	5. Chapter 5

**I can't believe these are getting so long! I wrote this in less than a day but I'm realizing I can't post every single day I'm on break. I do not have this much time when I'm in school. Also, yeah, I changed some stuff. Because I tried writing it with the dance but it just didn't work. So now they're just chilling during break in a student lounge.**

Percy sat down in the student lounge at Westover Hall. He had a set of Mythomagic cards in front of him with various Greek figures on them.

According to the teachers at the school, he was a new student who had decided to transfer while the school was on break to get accumulated. In reality, his uncle and mother had sent him there to keep Bianca and Nico di Angelo safe.

He hadn't really figured out Mythomagic yet, but he was hoping that Nico would see him playing it. Luckily, he was right.

"Is that Mythomagic?" The ten-year-old asked, pulling his sister over to Percy's table.

"Yeah." The son of Hestia said with a nod. "I don't really know how to play. Can you teach me?"

Nico smiled and nodded. "Yeah!" He sat across from Percy with Bianca next to him. "My name's Nico, and this is my sister Bianca."

"Percy. Now how exactly does all of this work?"  
The three spent the next few hours playing and talking. It certainty hadn't felt like that long, but they became fast friends. Nico was infatuated with Percy, who found he actually really enjoyed Mythomagic. Bianca was kind and Percy already felt like the di Angelo siblings were familt.

The entire atmosphere changed when four new people walked in. Percy recognized them as Grover, Orion, Annabeth and Thalia. He was glad to see they were all well. They took a seat at a nearby table.

Percy and the di Angelo's returned to their game. "Gods, Nico, how are you so good at this?"

"Gods?" Bianca asked, not missing the slip up.

Percy ignored her question when he saw Dr. Thorn, the manticore, walk in. He looked ready to kill, probably angered by the demigods in the room. "Do you trust me?" He asked, looking between the demigods and the monster.

Bianca and Nico looked at each other for a minute, but nodded.

"I need you to follow me. You're in danger." Bianca paled, but quickly grabbed Nico's hand and followed Percy. The son of Hestia led them out to a cliff, where he would at least be able to fight without mortal eyes watching.

The four campers emerged right behind them. "Who the hell are you?" Thalia asked, crackling with electricity.

"He's not the monster." Grover added.

"Of course I'm not! He is." Percy said, pointing to Dr. Thorn, who had just walked out.

"Bianca, Nico. Behind me." Percy ordered. "I'll answer all your questions later."

Percy pulled out Riptide. "Why are you here, manticore?"

The manticore growled. "The Great Stirring is upon us. The downfall of Olympus is near. My master has sent me to kill you all."

Before anyone could get another word in, a hunting horn sounded in the distance. For a second, nobody moved. The snow even seemed to stop falling in respect.

"It can't be…" The manticore said, voice shaking. A silver arrow hit him in the shoulder and he wailed in pain. He released his spikes, dozens upon dozens.

The hunters expertly shot them out of the air, while Percy threw up a shield of fire, getting into a fighting stance once again. The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder, clearly trying to assess which was the greater threat.

Before he could make the decision, Annabeth advanced, attempting to take advantage of the manticore's moment of weakness. But the manticore was not as weak as he looked, and a smash of his table sent her flying backwards. Thalia knelt down next to her friend.

The manticore stood there stunned as the hunters advanced. Leading them was a fourteen-year-old girl with a circlet weaved into her dark hair. She held a bow in her hand, aiming at the manticore's head. She looked like a Persian princess with her coppery skin and volcanic black eyes. "Permission to kill, my lady?"

She never moved her eyes from the manticore. Percy resisted the urge to just kill the monster, knowing better than to take away the hunter's kill.

"This is against the Ancient Laws!" The manticore cried, in a desperate attempt. "Direct interference is not allowed!"

"Not so." Said a girl with auburn hair and silvery eyes like the moon. She was twelve, maybe thirteen, but her expression was dangerously lethal. "The hunting of monsters lies in my domain." She turned to the girl with her arrow trained on the monster. "Permission granted, Zoë."

"You will not get them alive!" The monster shouted, swinging his tail and sending the recovering Annabeth and Thalia, who was still next to her, over the cliff.

Percy could faintly hear a shout as he followed them, jumping off the cliff. He quickly grabbed them and fire travelled them back up to the cliff. When he reappeared, all that was left was a pile of monster dust.

"Mortals may not witness my hunt." The auburn-haired girl said as the helicopters turned into a flock of ravens.

Percy was the first of them to bow. "Lady Artemis." He said, and could feel the hunt's eyes trained on him.

"Who are you, half-blood?" The goddess asked, eyeing him curiously. "You are not of Chiron's campers."

"My lady, I will answer your questions on one condition." Percy said, and the lieutenant, Zoë advanced angrily.

"You are in no position to be making demands, _boy_." She spat.

"Stand down, Zoë." The goddess said, and Zoë took a step back. "Continue."

Percy smiled, grateful at the goddess' kindness. "Nico and Bianca will be allowed to leave."

The goddess looked curiously at the demigod, and Percy could feel the confusion from behind him too. Artemis narrowed her eyes, but nodded. "I trust your word. Do not make me regret it."

Almost on cue, the three furies flew in, looking over the scene. The hunters' arrows were immediately pointed at them, but they did not fire. Percy turned to Alecto. "Take Nico and Bianca. I made a promise to Lady Artemis."

Alecto nodded reluctantly, grabbing Bianca as Megaera took Nico. The two flew off with the demigods in their clutches. "Your uncle nor your mother will be happy with you." Tisiphone said.

Percy shrugged, but smiled. "Don't worry, Tisiphone." With that, the final fury flew away.

"Name and parentage." The goddess demanded, most of the hunter's arrows now pointed towards him.

"Percy Jackson, adopted son of Hestia." He said, much to the hunters' and campers' shock.

"What are your orders?" She asked, confusion growing. She wasn't surprised that her sister had adopted a demigod. The goddess knew Hestia had always longed for a child, but would never break her oath.

"I was sent here to rescue Bianca and Nico for their father." Percy said, and Artemis' fierce look goaded him on, silently asking who their father was. "Hades."

"Of course Hades has broken the oath." A hunter commented. "All of those worthless gods have."

Percy's eyes turned into burning flames as he glared at the hunter. "Do not speak of my uncle like that. He most certainty did not break the oath."

Artemis looked over him, saying nothing. The boy was defending his family, and her hunter's comment was uncalled for. She was quite confused about how Hades had not broken the oath yet had two children, but she dismissed it. The Lotus Casino was an option, after all. "Mariella, quiet." She ordered.

"Who is your father?"

Percy crossed his arms. "I do not recognize my birth father as my father."

Artemis' steely glare settled on the demigod, but before she could say anything Orion spoke up. "Probably because he's weak, just like you."

The son of Hestia chuckled. "Oh shut it, sea spawn. You're just threatened by the fact that I actually have power." Orion flushed but before he could say anything was cut off by the goddess.

"Percy, I would like to speak with you. Zoë, accompany me." Artemis said, leading them to a tent.

Percy's first observation was that it was much larger than it looked. There were pelts scattered around and a deer that rested on the goddess' lap when she sat down. Zoë took a seat to her side, Percy across from her.

"You must forgive me if my hunters are not welcoming." The goddess said. "We do not usually have boys in our camp. They're usually jackalopes by now."

"Um… Thanks?" Percy said awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

To his surprise, the goddess smiled. "You are an enigma, Percy. It is not every day that the Olympians' hear of a child of Hestia."

"None of this is my mother's fault." Percy defended, wanting to protect his mother.

Zoë looked at Percy with contempt. "Lady Artemis would never assume—"

"He means no disrespect, Zoë. I can already tell he is different. Do not assume him to be any normal male."

Zoë eyed Percy curiously, but nodded, her gaze softening. "Yes, my lady."

"Now, where have you been all of these years." The goddess said, and Percy sighed.

He explained everything, minus Hades' training. His mother's death, his life of training and why he was sent to Westover Hall in the first place. He left out any detail that would pertain to his time in the Underworld.

"I want to know how you learned a hunter's stance." Artemis stated, and Percy's eyes widened. He paled knowing that it wasn't something he could disclose.

He sent a quick prayer to his uncle, asking if it was information he could divulge to the goddess.

The reply came seconds later. _Ask Artemis and her lieutenant to swear on the Styx. Then you may._

"I ask you to swear on the Styx not to tell anyone this information unless I give you the permission." The two looked at him curiously. "I cannot tell you if you don't swear it." Percy clarified.

Both the goddess and her lieutenant swore on the River Styx.

"Atalanta trained me."

"She is dead." Zoë stated bluntly, but somehow knew the boy was telling the truth.

"I lived in the Underworld with Uncle Hades when Persephone wasn't there. Achilles and Atalanta trained me."

Artemis looked at the boy curiously. "Atalanta taught you well."

Percy nodded with a smile. "Yeah. She's a really great friend. Like my sister."

Zoë didn't know what to do with this boy. Despite her cruelty, he wasn't fazed. Atalanta trained him, likely saw him as a brother too. How could she hate her sister's friend? "I apologize for my cruel words, Percy. You are not as bad of a male as I thought." Zoë amended, quite shaken by having to apologize to a male.

Percy waved it off.

The goddess nodded. "Yes, you might be the only decent male on the planet. Most would have not honored our agreement. Do not let me down."

Percy nodded seriously. "I won't."  
Artemis smiled, but it quickly faded. "Please repeat to me what the manticore said about this 'Stirring.'"

The son of Hestia explained what exactly had happened, down to the manticore's exact phrasing.

"I must hunt this monster. I was ignorant to ignore the signs." Artemis said, face slightly pale.

To Zoë's credit, she tried her hardest not to look afraid. "We will leave at once, my lady."

Artemis shook her head. "Zoë, you and the hunters will be staying at Camp Half Blood. I trust you will try your best not to burn down the camp."

"Artemis, I can—" Zoë protested, but Artemis held up her hand.

"It is far too dangerous. I will go alone." Artemis said with finality.

She turned to Percy. "I will call my brother to escort both my hunters and the campers to Camp Half Blood. I trust you to keep my brother in line."

The demigod nodded. "I will, my lady."

"Zoë, break camp. Tell the hunters to treat this boy…" She paused, looking for the right word. "Neutrally. They may not insult him but they do not have to talk to him either." Zoë nodded in response and left.

Percy figured that was the best he was going to get.

The goddess turned back to him. "Percy, I have a feeling about what this monster is. And I ask you to tell me who your birth father is."

The demigod took a deep breath, but nodded lightly. "Poseidon."

Artemis didn't seem fazed, and Percy imagined she had guessed it. "When it becomes necessary, have your mother tell you the Great Prophecy. I do not need to be my brother to know that you will be the prophecy child."

Percy looked down. "I may have never heard the prophecy, but I have trained for it."

Artemis looked thoughtful for a second. "You do not want the glory. I admire that."

"Most of my life has been spent with the dead. It won't be too bad for me to go back to that."

"I wish to ask Thalia to join the hunt very soon." Artemis said, surprised that she was telling Percy this. "I do not know how old she is. That is a question for my brother."

Percy nodded. "I don't think she wants to be the child of the prophecy. From what I've seen, she would make a wonderful hunter. Annabeth too. Atalanta agrees."

The goddess chuckled. "Someday, I would like to truly know your life story. I miss my huntress." Percy smiled. "Now, you must be going. My brother is here."


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay I'm actually writing like a maniac. The chapters keep getting longer and longer. I don't know if you should expect longer chapters, but definitely do not expect frequent updates like I have now. I was on a five day weekend! I had this ready a while back but I really don't want to get you all used to quick updates. I love them, but I am so busy I can't even attempt to have a schedule. I'm hoping for one a week!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

Apollo pulled up in a blinding Maserati Spyder. The snow melted around his car, leaving Percy with wet shoes. He sighed and instantly dried them with his water powers.

"Where's my little sis?" The god asked with a smile. Gods, his teeth were white.

"She is hunting alone. She asked me to let you know that her hunters and the campers need a ride to Camp Half Blood." Percy relayed, bowing quickly.

Apollo gave the demigod a onceover. "You're a son of Hestia. Adopted, of course."

Percy nodded. "Lady Artemis trusts that you can take us all to Camp Half Blood." He reminded, and Apollo freed himself from his daze.

"Right." He scanned the group. "Who wants to drive?"

Grover raised his hand. "Too furry." The god dismissed.

He looked towards Percy. "I'm fourteen." The demigod said, putting up his hands.

The god sighed and set his eyes on Thalia. "Zeus' daughter. You can drive."

Thalia paled. "Uh. No thanks." She said awkwardly.

"Come on, kid. How old are you?"

Thalia shrugged, looking down. Percy assumed that being a tree meant that she really had no idea how old she truly was. "I don't know."

The god looked her over, probably trying to discern her age. "You're fifteen. Sixteen next week, December 22nd."

Thalia smiled. "That's my birthday! How'd you know?"  
"God of prophecies. I know stuff." He said proudly, tossing her the keys. "You're driving."

The daughter of Zeus paled again. "I really don't—"

"Nonsense. Load up, everyone!" The god called, turning the car into a van so they could all fit.

They all squeezed into the van, hunters in the back and campers in the front. Percy sat next to Annabeth.

"Annabeth Chase." The demigod said, introducing herself. "Daughter of—"

"Athena. Next to you is Grover. Next to him is Orion, son of Poseidon. In the front driving is obviously Thalia." Percy smiled, extending his hand. "Percy Jackson, son of Hestia. Nice to meet you."

The two shook hands, but Annabeth looked at him in confusion. "How? I mean, I understand guessing parentages. But names?"

Percy chuckled. "I'm no child of Athena. Lord Hades told me when he asked me to rescue his children."

"Why did Hades ask you?" She asked, her curiosity seeping through her words.

"My mom is the only one who visits him, from what I've heard. She told him about me, knowing that none of the Olympians would hear it from him." Percy clarified.

The car jolted as Thalia floored the gas pedal. "Not so fast." Apollo advised. "Don't want to burn the forests down."

Thalia's knuckles were white, her hands clenched so tightly on the steering wheel Percy was surprised it didn't break.

"Left up here." Apollo instructed, seemingly unfazed by Thalia's driving. The car jerked to the right. "Try the other left."

"I'm trying!" Thalia shouted, her brow slick with sweat.

Percy was concerned. "Let me drive." Percy said, giving no room for anyone to argue. To the van's surprise, he didn't move. Fire curled around the steering wheel, keeping it balanced. Thalia quickly moved her hands, but the fire wouldn't have burned her anyways. She sighed in relief.

"Land on the beach." Apollo said calmly, and Percy could hear that the god was very happy to have someone else driving. Percy did as instructed, landing softly on the beach. They unloaded from the van in seconds—hunters fastest of all. "Percy, a word."

Percy turned around. "Yes, Lord Apollo?"  
"There will be a quest, and you need to be on it." He said seriously. "No matter what." The son of Hestia nodded. "And for the record, I see why my sister's given you a chance." With that, the god flashed out.

Percy looked around to see that everyone had left, and he had no idea where he was supposed to go. He decided to just sit and watch the waves. He hadn't really ever been able to truly just sit by the ocean.

He turned as he felt a godly presence next to him. He turned to see a man with black hair and the same sea green eyes he used to have before Hestia adopted him. His eyes were now a sparkling brown, with only sea green flecks.

"Poseidon." Percy realized, looking up with at his… father.

"Percy." The god replied, sitting down next to him. "I know I have never been a father to you. But I am truly sorry for what happened to your mother."

Percy looked away. "I don't forgive you."

Poseidon sighed, expecting it. "I expected as much. I am sorry we will not get enough time. Zoë Nightshade is approaching." With that, he—just like Apollo—disappeared.

Zoë stepped onto the sandy beach. "I figured you would be lost."

Percy stood up, turning around to face her. "Well, you're right."

The hunter looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "I am here to take you to Chiron. As the one who told him about you, he sent me. Gods know why. Chiron of all people should know that a hunter would be the last one to want to talk to a boy."

Percy laughed. "You're not a good actress."

"Excuse me?" Zoë said, looking at the boy with anger, but it was half-hearted. She found that she couldn't hate this boy, who was not only trained by her old friend, but also not like the rest of his gender.

"Look, I know you don't hate me. I know I confuse you. I mean, have you met my mom? Of course she raised me to be a good person." Percy smiled.

Gods, Zoë didn't know what to do with this boy. "Follow me, I'll take you to Chiron."

Percy nodded and followed her. She led him through the camp, past the twelve cabins for the Olympians.

"Do you know where I'll stay?" Percy asked, knowing his mother didn't have a cabin.

Zoë shook her head. "The camp does not recognize all of the gods. Many hunters' parents don't have a cabin here. They place unclaimed and the children of the minor gods in the Hermes cabin."

Percy frowned. "Does your parent have a cabin here?"  
Zoë's dagger was immediately on his neck. "It is none of your business." She sheathed her dagger.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." Percy apologized, putting his hands in his pocket. "After all, I feel the same way."

They continued walking, in a silence that was neither comfortable nor awkward. They finally reached the Big House, where everyone was waiting.

"Ah, Percy. Nice to meet you. I am Chiron, the activities director." The centaur introduced, shaking Percy's hand.

"Another brat?" The chubby man sitting with a Diet Dr. Pepper in hand said. "Mr. D. You'd best not piss me off."

Percy's eyes narrowed as he recognized the god. "Dionysus." He seethed.

The god looked up at the son of Hestia angrily. He attempted to show the demigod all of the horrors of madness he could put him through, but Percy's eyes were flames, blocking the god from his mind through sheer power. The god growled, and went back to his card game.

"That was not smart." Annabeth noted quietly, but loud enough for Percy to hear. She was seated in a chair with the rest of the members of the rescue mission.

Percy turned to look at her with a steely glare. "I don't care if it was smart or not. The pathetic excuse for a god represents everything I hate."

Zoë snorted, but nodded her head.

"Settle down. I've heard the questers side of the story. I just want to hear from you what happened."

Percy nodded, expecting this. He relayed everything back, but not mentioning anything that pertained to his talk with Artemis without Zoë.

"Well, it seems that the hunters will be staying for a while. Capture the Flag will be tomorrow."

"Who's team captain?" Annabeth asked, wanting to lead the campers to victory.

"Me!" Orion shouted, but everyone rolled his eyes.

"Percy." Zoë suggested. All the heads turned to her, confused. "What? I want to see his worth."

"Well then, Percy will be captain." Chiron surmised, quite shocked. "Thalia, can I trust you to show Percy the boundaries and the rules?"

Thalia nodded, leading Percy out. "Do they still call your tree Thalia's Pine?" Percy asked, and Thalia couldn't decide to slap him or laugh.

She laughed. "Really? That's what you're going to ask?" Percy shrugged in response, chuckling. They sat in silence for a moment. "Yes, they still call it that."

Percy burst out laughing. "Seems like a thing campers would do."

They walked in silence for a moment, nearing the cabins. "Why doesn't Zoë hate you?" Thalia asked, much more serious than before. "I mean, Zoë and I do not get along. I just want to know why you haven't been castrated."

"That's a loaded question." Percy chuckled.

"Yup."

"Well, I mean, I still think she doesn't like me. She just… tolerates me. Lady Artemis asked her, and the hunters, to treat me neutrally."

"That's out of character." Thalia remarked, giving the demigod a onceover. "Why?"

"I honored our agreement." Percy said simply. "Plus, my mom's really great."

Thalia burst into chuckles. "Sure." She rolled her eyes. "Now, to the actual tour."

She pointed to the creek, explaining how it was the boundary line. The hunters have the Northern Woods, we've got Zeus' Fist."

"Is that where they usually put the flag?"

Thalia nodded. "Pretty often. It has to be clearly visible."

"Is it the best place to put it?"

"Honestly, yeah." Thalia answered, shrugging. "There really aren't that many good places to put it. If you play your cards right, it's the best."

Percy grinned at the daughter of Zeus. "You're my co-captain." She looked shocked. "What? I don't know the camp nor the campers. I can do strategies."

"Well that works."

"Do you have a map of the boundaries?" Percy asked, and Thalia nodded.

"Annabeth does. Why?"

"We're going to win. We don't have to do this tour; I can look at a map and figure it out. Strategy starts now." Percy said, and Thalia grinned like a mad man.

"Follow me."

* * *

When Percy finally got to bed, he was exhausted. He had arranged with Chiron to stay in the Big House, as Thalia had advised him that the Hermes cabin was cramped.

Thalia, Annabeth and Percy got along much better than anyone could have expected. With Annabeth and Thalia's help, they crafted and unbeatable plan.

But now wasn't the time to worry for tomorrow. As soon as Percy's head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.

 _"_ _Artemis has no idea what is coming for her." A man with stone grey eyes and black hair remarked with a chuckle._

 _"_ _The girl is under the sky, General." A demigod reported, and Percy immediately recognized him as Luke—the one who betrayed both Annabeth and Thalia, Percy recalled._

 _"_ _You have done well. You must not fail like that despicable Thorn."_

 _Luke gulped but nodded. "I will not."_

Percy's dream shifted.

 _"_ _If you insist on fighting Ladon, this will help thee._ _"_ _A girl said, and Percy immediately recognized her as Zoë Nightshade. She pulled a hairpin from her hair and held it in her hand._

 _"_ _How will a hairpin help, pretty one?" The man across from her said in a slightly condescending tone. Zoë didn't seem to notice._

 _"_ _It may not, but it is all I can do to help thee." She handed him the hairpin._

 _It grew to a bronze sword that Percy recognized to be his own. "What shall I name it?"_

 _She smiled sadly. "Anaklusmos. The current that takes one by surprise. And before thee knows it, thee has been swept out by the sea."_

 _Before the man could say anything else, there was a hiss. "He is here!" Zoë whispered, and the man stood up._

The scene changed, but Percy immediately recognized the people.

 _"_ _You must take me with thee!" Zoë protested, but the male shook his head._

 _"_ _I cannot. It is far too dangerous for thee, pretty one."_

 _He walked away, but the girl ran after him. "Heracles, please!" She cried, breaking down into sobs. Somehow, Percy knew the gravity of the situation for Zoë. She had turned her back on her family, and the man she trusted had betrayed her. She no longer had a home._

Percy woke up with a start. He immediately shot out of bed, intending to find Zoë. If anyone would listen to him about Artemis being in danger, it would be her.

When he got to the main room of the Big House, it seemed Zoë was already there, arguing with Argus. Percy had quickly come to learn that Argus did not talk, because of the eyes covering his body.

"Argus, please let her through." Percy requested, and Argus sighed, letting her pass.

"Artemis is in trouble." They both said at once. Zoë eyed him suspiciously but nodded.

Percy turned to Argus. "Can you get Chiron for us?" Argus nodded and left the room.

"The General is planning something to capture Lady Artemis." Percy said, and Zoë nodded once again.

"What was your dream about?" Zoë asked, and Percy sighed. He explained all of it that regarded Artemis, figuring he could talk to Zoë about her part in his dream later.

"Yours?" Percy asked.

"The same. Down to the phrasing."

Chiron entered with hair curlers in his tail. Percy didn't want to ask.

"Lady Artemis is in danger." Zoë said, and Chiron sighed.

"Zoë, there is nothing we can—"

Zoë shook her head. "My lady is in danger! The hunters will leave at once!"

Chiron turned to Percy, and he nodded seriously. "We had the same dream. Chiron, she's in danger."

The centaur looked at the two sadly. "Zoë, you and the hunters must stay here until Artemis orders you otherwise."

Zoë and Percy shared a look. "How will she be able to give the hunters orders if she is lost?" Percy asked, and Chiron paled.

"I cannot sanction a quest, with no evidence. I'm sorry, Zoë."

Zoë stormed out, and Percy took one last look at Chiron. "I know you are worried too. I do not blame you." Percy said with a smile before following Zoë.

She was seated on the porch, looking out angrily. "What do you want?" She spat.

Percy threw his hands up in mock-defense and sat next to her. "If there isn't word from Artemis tomorrow, we will go and find her." Percy promised, and Zoë turned to him.

"You mean that?" Zoë asked softly, her tone changing to one of gratitude.

Percy smiled. "Of course. Lady Artemis gave me a chance."

Zoë looked at Percy and smiled. "Thank you."

"The hunters are likely wide awake and waiting for you; and you'll need sleep, no matter what happens tomorrow."

Zoë nodded, standing. "Goodnight, Percy." She said, walking away.

"Goodnight, Zoë." He called. He could ask her about her involvement in his dream later. For now, he had to help Artemis.

He walked back up to his temporary room, falling into to a dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, so I'm not super proud of this chapter. But hey, you know, at least there's a chapter! I've had this done for a day or two but I hadn't edited it. I saw a show last night, which was when I wanted to have it up! I edited it in math (also known as why I'm going to fail math).**

 **I hope you enjoy! Also, I did change up the prophecy. I don't like how it turned out but it's important.**

"Silena, you're up." Percy directed to the group of campers surrounding Zeus' Fist. They were preparing for the game of Capture the Flag against the hunters, determined to win.

The daughter of Aphrodite nodded, her demeanor signifying that she was ready for a fight. "Laurel, Jason, Tilly, follow me. Remember the plan, divert as many as possible." The group nodded and they set off.

"Annabeth—"

Said daughter of Athena chuckled. "Yeah, Percy, I know. You do remember we went over strategies together, right?"

Percy rolled his eyes. "I'm just making sure that you remember—"

"Invisibility hat, alone. I'm another decoy because they won't expect three attacks." She said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, smarty pants. Start sneaking out." She disappeared as she put on her hat, but Percy could still sense her general direction, and he assumed the experienced hunters could too.

The remaining few waited. Thalia and her group were prepared to seize the flag, while Beckendorf was guarding the flag with Percy. He had restored the golden dragon that used to defend the woods, so Percy expected the only major resistance would be Zoë Nightshade herself.

The son of Hestia had no idea what to do with the hunter he called a freind. He felt protective of her, even though he knew she needed none of his help. It was a weird balance. Percy signaled to Thalia that she was good to go, leaving Beckendorf and Percy. The Stoll brothers were out on the outskirts of their side of the forest, ready to distract the hunters so they had no chance of getting the flag.

Of course, it didn't work for everyone. Zoë Nightshade entered swiftly without making a sound. Another hunter was with her, but Zoë and Percy both knew the only people they would be fighting were each other.

"Percy Jackson." She said, brandishing his dagger.

Percy smirked, pulling out a dagger of his own. Although he had yet to address Zoë about the sword in his pocket, he felt odd using it around her. "Zoë Nightshade."

She attacked without warning, leaving Percy on the defensive. He quickly parried the hunter's blows with relative ease.

He made a slash for her side, one she barely sidestepped as his attacks grew in speed. Realizing that she was nearing being beaten at her own game, she growled.

When Percy struck for her sword arm, she unexpectedly ducked, knocking his feet out from under him. She smirked as she began to pin him, but she was immediately knocked on her back as well.

Percy rushed to his feet, but it seemed Zoë had the same idea. His dagger back in his hand, they both found themselves wondering who would be first to attack as they circled each other. It seemed they were too easily matched as each blow seemed to be matched with a parry from the respective opponent.

Neither of them were willing to give up the fight, despite the exhaustion that was starting to settle in.

After a few more unsuccessful attacks, Percy feigned left but quickly brought his dagger to her neck.

Unfortunately for him, he was not the only one with a dagger to the opponent's neck.

The horn sounded, signaling that the game was over. Both Zoë and Percy took their dagger away from the other's neck and ran towards the creek.

Zoë found herself to be inexplicably worried. She _had_ noticed her sister get the campers' flag, but she feared it might have been too late. The campers had never had anyone as powerful as Percy on their side in a game.

Percy grinned as he saw the campers' victorious faces, the flag resting in Thalia's hands.

"We may have tied, but it seems our groups have not." Percy said to Zoë, who promptly punched him in the arm. He winced, and Zoë walked calmly over to her sisters.

The clearing silenced the second they saw a decrepit mummy in a tie-dye dress, a green mist following the mummified oracle. Images of a goddess bearing the weight of the sky were pictured around her, and the hunters all took a pained breath, their suspicions confirmed.

The oracle turned to Zoë. "Approach seeker, and ask." The mummy's voice was raspy, as if her throat had been dried too.

The hunter took a step forward, concern etched onto her face. "What must I do to save Artemis?"

The oracle glowed with Apollo's power, the prophecy coming out of her mouth, yet her mouth wasn't moving.

 _Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,_

 _One shall be lost in the land without rain,_

 _The bane of Olympus shows the trail,_

 _Campers and Hunters combined prevail,_

 _Prophecy's child to join the quest,_

 _Lives forever changed for the rest,_

 _The Titan's curse must one withstand,_

 _And one shall perish by a parent's hand._

Zoë paled. Percy looked grim, finally understanding what Apollo meant about how he was needed on the quest. They would believe either Thalia or Orion had to go, and with Orion's condition, he would be out of it for at least the next month. That would teach him to mess with the hunters.

Many of the campers found it quite odd how much more reserved Orion had become. Percy figured one of the gods had finally come to threaten him—but at least the arrogant son of Poseidon was out of the picture.

"Counselor meeting!" Chiron called, heading to the ping pong table. Thalia looked paled, but both Annabeth and Percy were instantly at her side. They walked together in silent support for their friend.

Even if Percy knew he would never let her be the child of the prophecy, he knew how heavy the weight on her shoulders was. They all arrived, Phoebe at her lieutenant's side.

Orion seemingly had been wheeled out for the meeting. He was sitting in a wheelchair looking like a kicked puppy. "Why's Percy here? He's not a counselor."

Percy looked to Chiron, letting him know he wasn't about to leave anytime soon.

"I allowed him. Let us discuss the prophecy."

Zoë spoke first, as the prophecy was directed to her. "I will take my hunters and go."

Thalia scowled. "The prophecy clearly states campers _and_ hunters. You have to take campers."

"Fine. I shall take you, then. Prophecy's child clearly relates to you." At Zoë's words, Thalia softened. Percy just realized how impossible it would be to get onto this quest.

"I would also like Phoebe by my side. A three to two split would do us well, I will ask my fellow hunters who would like to come tonight."

"Who will be your fourth then?" Thalia asked.

Annabeth raised her hand warily and Zoë sighed, but nodded.

"I do not wish to discuss this further. I will find one more hunter who wishes to come. We will leave at seven tomorrow morning, by _Thalia_ _'_ _s_ Tree." Zoë spat Thalia's name as if it were poison. Percy didn't know what bad blood was between the two, but he didn't question it.

"I would like to go!" Orion yelled, as if he had just woken from some sort of daze. The campers laughed. Percy had no idea what was wrong with the boy, but he was acting very strange.

"Too late, boy." Phoebe spat. "You are unwanted."

Chiron, sensing a fight might break out, stepped in. "Calm down. Everyone may leave, as Zoë has chosen her quest mates."

The group nodded and dispersed.

"Zoë, I need to talk to you." Percy said as the others cleared out.

Phoebe growled. "What do you want?"

Zoë put her hand up, silently telling her friend to back off. "Phoebe, leave us." Phoebe sighed but walked away.

"Is it alright if we speak in the forest?" Percy asked. Zoë hesitated, but nodded. They walked in silence.

They walked to Zeus' Fist, the only place Percy really knew in the forest.

"Zoë, before you see this as me being an arrogant male, I need you to listen to me." Percy explained, and she nodded cautiously. "I need to be on this quest."

She slapped him. " _Never_ assume that you need to be a part of—"

Percy sighed. "Zoë! Listen." The hunter sighed, but kept quiet. "I am the prophecy child."

She looked at him confused. "You are adopted, you do not qualify."

He sat on Zeus' Fist, looking anywhere but her eyes. "Look Zoë, I trust you, even though we've just met. Can I trust you with this?" His voice was sincere, and Zoë knew this was important.

She looked at the boy in front of her, wondering if she did trust him. He was a fantastic fighter, and he had promised to help save Artemis. He had gained her lady's admiration even after just meeting him, something that still surprised her. He had put up with her attacks and anger for his gender, but he never showed any anger towards her. He seemed to understand that she had hated men for centuries—millennia, rather—and didn't let it get him down. "Yes." She said quietly. "I do trust you. Though I don't know why."

Percy smiled sadly. "My birth father is Poseidon." He couldn't look her in the eyes. He hadn't told anyone this unless it was out of necessity, and even then, it was still hard. He felt a tear slip out of his eye, something he hoped she didn't noticed.

She did. Gods, she didn't know what to do with a crying male. It wasn't something Zoë had experienced ever.

"Gods, ignore me." Percy muttered, wiping a tear away. "I hate crying, it makes me feel vulnerable."

Zoë rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a male; crying is not weak."

Percy chuckled, his sadness gone. He looked over to Zoë with a smile on his face. "So, can I come?"

She scoffed. "Yeah, you can come."

"Thanks." He said, a small smile playing on his lips. "This is going to sound stupid, but you're one of my only living friends."

The hunter chuckled lightly. "Yes, that is what happens when you live in the Underworld with dead people."

"Hey!" Percy protested, but he laughed anyways.

Their laughter quieted. "For the record, you're one of my best male friends."

Percy smiled happily. "More like your only male friend."

Zoë scoffed. "Like you have any friends in the first place."

He frowned but his eyes sparkled with happiness. They sat in silence for a few moments. "I meant to give you this." He pulled out Riptide, his trusty sword, and handing it to the hunter. "I had a dream about it, and well, it's yours."

She looked to him but didn't take it. "I gave that to Heracles before I joined the Hunt. I trusted him, and he let me down."

"You don't have to tell me."

She smiled. "I know." She paused, ready to tell her only male friend about her parentage, just as he had done to her. "I was one of the Hesperides, erased after I betrayed my family for Heracles. I helped him, something I still regret. My family cast me out and I asked him to take me with him. He left me, and I was banished forever. Despite it all, my lady let me join the Hunt, and I am forever grateful." Zoë looked up to Percy sadly. "My father is Atlas. I am to die on this quest."

Percy shook his head vigorously. "You will not die on this quest." He stated, and Zoë was taken aback by how factual he sounded.

"You cannot defy the fates."

He shook his head again. "The Hunt is your family. They need you. And I most certainly will not let you die."

"Percy, that's not a decision you can make." She protested, but she felt recognized. The fact that this boy she barely knew was ready to save her life was comforting.

He grabbed her hand, and looked her in the eye. "Zoë, I will not let you die."

For a moment, Zoë didn't know what to do. Percy's hand felt warm in hers, and she never wanted to let go. Realizing what he'd done, Percy pulled his hand back and looked away.

She crushed him into a hug. "Thank you."

Percy relaxed into her embrace, never wanting to let go. They pulled apart at last. "I promise, Zoë." He said, standing up. "Now, come on! We've got a quest tomorrow!"  
The hunter laughed but followed her male friend. Maybe, just maybe, all males weren't so bad.


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is just over three thousand words! It's not very thoroughly edited because I'm a disaster and I really just want to get this up tonight. It took far too long to write and argh I'm not in love. It was supposed to have a lot more but ehhh it doesn't. Ignore me.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

Percy woke up at three o'clock in the morning the day of the quest. He didn't know why; he hadn't even had a dream. He had simply woken up with the feeling that something was amiss. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in attempts to sense what was wrong.

The ocean. He felt the turmoil in his blood as he left the Big House. His walk eventually turned to a run as he felt dismay in the waters. As if someone—or something—was sending a distress call.

He made it to the beach to see a hippocampi. Gods, was the creature breathtaking, a majestic mix of a horse and a sea creature.

 _Is there something wrong?_ Percy asked telepathically to the creature, who looked beyond relieved to see Percy there.

 _I am so glad to see you, my lord! I felt a new son of Poseidon, one who might be of help! The one here previously was vulgar!_

Percy figured Orion was the aforementioned son of Poseidon. _Yes. My name is Percy; I am nothing like my terrible excuse of a brother._

The creature neighed happily. _Can you help? There is a creature stuck below the seas, in the mortal_ _'_ _s garbage._

Percy nodded. _I can. Lead the way._

 _Thank you, my lord! I will lead you to him, get onto my back._

He mounted the creature, who dove into the waters. The thrill of being able to breathe underwater was something Percy would never give up. They approached a shipwreck—an overturned boat. There were more hippocampi surrounding it, and a creature that was not only caught under the boat but in a fishing net. Percy dismounted the hippocampi, and investigated the situation.

The boat was near crushing the animal—a mix of a cow and a serpent. Percy felt that he should recognize the creature, but couldn't. The animal was helplessly caught in a fishing net, and the creature had only gotten more stuck in the netting.

 _Free it, lord!_ Another hippocampi pleaded, and Percy pulled out his dagger to free the creature.

At the sight of the dagger, the creature squirmed. It mooed, and Percy quickly put the knife away. "Okay, okay. Think calm thoughts." He placated, his soothing words calming the creature, who had stopped thrashing.

More hippocampi cried for Percy to free the creature, and he sighed. He was going to have to unravel every knot in the net to free her. Percy didn't know exactly how he had come to see the creature as a female in the first place, but it wasn't the time to reflect on it.

"Shh, Bessie. I'm going to help you." Percy soothed to the creature who he had now named Bessie, apparently. He began the menial process of untying each and every knot. It was a painstaking process, leaving Percy's fingers sore.

"I've got you, Bess. I'm going to get you out." The creature mooed in response. Percy spent what felt like hours soothing the creature and untying knots. Every single time Bessie would be spooked in anyway meant that he practically had to start all over again.

Finally, Percy had freed the half-serpent, who had mooed happily and snuggled up against Percy. She then swam away, but Percy had a feeling that he'd be seeing his new friend again.

 _Thank you._ The hippocampi neighed happily. _I will take you back up to the surface._

Percy smiled and mounted the majestic horse, watching the surface near. He thanked the horse and dismounted when they reached the surface.

Percy made his way back to his cabin, and was shocked to see that it was already nearing five in the morning. He quickly dozed off to get the last few hours of peaceful sleep he could, knowing the quest would be that morning.

* * *

It had been much harder than expected to get on the road. Phoebe was still angry about Zoë's decision to bring Percy. Thalia and Percy kept arguing about where they should sit in the van. Percy was adamant about being the closest to the front, while Thalia wanted to sit as far away from Zoë as she could.

Even Annabeth had trouble calming them down. They were both forced to compromise and sit in the middle—leaving both Thalia and Percy feeling like toddlers who couldn't make up their mind—and wouldn't talk to each other until Annabeth brought up the Capture the Flag game. The second she mentioned it they broke out into identical grins and their anger was dissolved.

"Where are we going again?" Percy asked.

Phoebe sighed. "To the Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space, boy." She spat. "I tracked a powerful scent here, the bane of Olympus that my lady was tracking, I presume."

Zoë rolled her eyes from the driver's seat. This would be one long quest if Percy and Phoebe kept bickering.

"So, Annabeth." Percy started, turning to the daughter of Athena who sat between the children of the Big Three. "Where did you get the hat?"

Annabeth smiled. "My mother gave it to me on Olympus one year." She pulled the hat from her pocket and flipped it in her hand. "I've won many Capture the Flag games with it."

"She also uses it to terrify me." Thalia added humorously. "You don't know how many times she's made me jump."

Annabeth chuckled softly, shoving Thalia. "You've also zapped me countless times because of it."

She rolled her eyes. "I zap everyone. Get used to it."

They fell into an easy silence. "How did you manage to get on the quest anyhow?" Annabeth asked, genuinely perplexed by the situation. As far as she knew, Zoë was going to pick a hunter and then suddenly Percy was on the quest.

Thank the gods, Zoë was listening, and decided to chime in. "Regardless of what many may believe, I can acknowledge men. Percy is a strong demigod and will be helpful in finding Lady Artemis." The group sat in silence for a moment. "She has asked us to give him a chance, and I will."

Thalia looked from Percy to Zoë. "Lady Artemis asked you all to give him a chance?"  
Phoebe scoffed and rolled her eyes. "She did. Whether or not we like it."

Annabeth sighed. "Can we all just try to get along? I'm not about to spend the next few days dealing with everyone bickering."

The car sat in silence, in silent agreement. Speaking would break their serenity, and knowing that they were going on a quest where two of them would likely die wasn't something they wanted to have to face yet.

"We have arrived." Zoë announced, getting out of the car. She started to walk with the group behind her, but Percy noticed something off to the side.

"I'll be inside soon." He improvised. "Have to go to… the bathroom." He walked off before anyone could say anything as a rebuttal.

Phoebe turned to Zoë with her arms crossed. "I told you he would be useless on this quest. He's already run off!"

Thalia crackled with electricity. "I don't know what—"

She was interrupted by the daughter of Athena. "No fighting. Come on, let's go. Percy will catch up." The group nodded and walked towards the museum.

Percy was walking as inconspicuously as he could towards the very familiar manticore. He had seen the monster on a cell phone—something that monsters, Percy knew, did not carry often—and walked across the street. Percy looked over his shoulder to see that the quest members had already gone inside.

Thorn had now crossed the street and entered the Natural History Museum. Percy fire-travelled to get closer as soon as the monster had entered the museum, and pushed the door open. The monster entered a room that had been marked as occupied, and Percy put his back to the wall.

He sensed the room to anywhere he could hide, and oddly enough there was a fireplace. Percy was thoroughly confused as to why, but he fire-travelled there and hid inconspicuously in the flames.

The room was much worse than he could have expected. There were monsters _everywhere_ , dracaena and mortals alike. A man with a powerful aura, the same man from Percy's dream. The General. The son of Hestia already knew there was something very off with the General, but oddly something familiar.

"They are in the rocket museum, General." The manticore said, voice shaking.

"Air and Space Museum." Luke corrected with an edge to his voice.

"How many?" The General demanded in a clipped tone.

The manticore stumbled with his words. "Five, sir."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Which five?" His tone was a feeble attempt at calm.

"Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace, Zoë Nightshade—"

The General stood up, eyes blazing in anger. "I told you never to speak of her name!" He roared, and the room cowered.

"S-sorry, sir." Thorn stuttered, terrified by the man in front of him.

The General lazily put up a hand. "I have sent a minion to distract them, after your failure."

The manticore cowered. "I will do better next time!" He vowed, but the General simply chuckled.

"There will be no next time." Before anyone could react, the manticore turned into golden dust. "Now, what do you know about this 'Percy Jackson.'" The General said, turning to Luke.

Luke swallowed. "There is not much I can gather from him. He was adopted by Hestia and has been hidden from the gods."

"Is he qualified for the prophecy, as Hestia's child?"

The demigod shook his head.

The General smiled. "Good. Since the pesky son of Poseidon hasn't acted yet, you must isolate Thalia. We will get the monster to her."

Luke swallowed. "How will we do so? They will not be so quickly compelled to leave one of their own behind."

"Plant them." The man waved a hand and a mortal stepped up.

The mortal buried two sharp white teeth into the soil that lay in the middle of the room of the room. He patted them gently, pushing the soil over the exposed teeth. "Ready, General."

"Good. Water them, and they will soon find their prey."

He nodded and pulled out a watering can with painted daises, and Percy had to stifle a laugh. That wasn't the odd part about it, the liquid that came out wasn't even water. It was a dark red liquid, that for a second Percy thought might have been blood. The soil started bubbling.

"Soon, Luke, I will show you why my army will crush the demigods." The General snarled and Luke looked miffed, but didn't say anything. "These soldiers will make you pathetic boat look insignificant."

"I've trained my forces for a year! When they arrive at the mountain, they will—" Luke protested, but was cut off.

The General chuckled rudely. "The Titan Lord has other plans for you. You should know this."

Luke paled, obviously not wanting to say anything. Luckily, he didn't have to. The soil erupted and in its place were two kittens.

"Mew!"

The General stood up in rage. "You filthy mortals! These are not the teeth I asked for!" His voice reverberated throughout the room; the entire room seemed to shake with his power.

"Sir, you said the sabretooth tiger—" The mortal guard protested, and that only seemed to make the General angrier.

"Lies." He protested, still fuming. "Get me the tyrannosaurus!"

"Y-yes sir!" The mortal said, running out of the room to grab the new teeth.

Luke turned to the General cockily. "This is why you never use mortals." He smiled cruelly. "They never get it right."

The General smiled. "I love them. So violent, easy to manipulate."

The guard returned, out of breath but holding the teeth. The General stood abruptly and grabbed them, wincing. Nobody said anything, but the General swore. "I will plant these myself." He said, grabbing the watering can and planting them himself.

The skeletal warriors emerged in a disgusting display of events, twelve in all. They were warriors, but their skin was more like a hologram than flesh. Percy shivered just looking near them.

One of them looked towards Percy, and he instantly knew _nothing_ would be able to hide them from these monsters—not even Annabeth's hat. If something could see him in his own element, nothing would stop them.

The General pulled a piece of fabric that had to be from a hunter's jacket. Percy's eyes widened, and ran out to grab the fabric without thinking. He was not about to let them go after Zoë. He heard the rip of his shirt and cursed, knowing that they now had his scent.

He ran out of the building, tearing through the area, heading straight towards where he knew the others would be. He spotted Zoë's circlet in the crowd and ran to her. "Zoë!" She turned towards him with a mix of concern and annoyance. "The General. He's sent skeletal warriors after us, I grabbed the piece of your jacket." He said, handing her the fabric. The entire group was turned to him now. "But they got a piece of my shirt." He grabbed his shirt to let them see the huge chunk that was missing. "He's sending some sort of monster after all of us."

The group collectively paled, but pulled out their weapons.

A roar sounded through the museum.

"Look, mommy!" A child said in the distance, but none of the demigods' eyes were on the child. "A kitty!"

Percy swore. The monster they'd have to fight was not only indestructible, but they also had a hoard of skeletons after them. They had very little time to defeat a monster that couldn't be harmed by their weapons before the skeletal warriors were on them.

They group jumped into attack positions as they stood before the Nemean Lion, its mouth open in a roar.

"Annabeth, is there a way to defeat it?" Percy asked, as the group dispersed.

She bit her lip as the hunters fired arrow after arrow at the lion, but nothing helped. Thalia called down a lightning bolt but it only seemed to bother the monster. The daughter of Zeus pulled out Aegis—her shield modeled after Athena's. For a second, there was hope as the beast retreated in fear at the sight of Medusa's face, but it was soon lost.

"Find a way to fire at its mouth!" Annabeth cried, running off to the museum store.

Thalia turned away to her friend. "Annie, what are you doing?"

Percy's eyes widened as the monster saw the opportunity to go after Thalia. Percy threw a ball of fire to the monster, effectively distracting the monster.

Unluckily for Percy, the monster was now on him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annabeth running in with a bunch of silver packets. Percy jumped off the balcony platform as the monster charged towards him. He landed on one of the airplanes hanging by the ceiling and cursed, fire-travelling back to the ground.

The monster leapt after him and roared. When the lion's mouth was open, Annabeth through the silver packets into his open maw. Percy realized exactly what she was thinking, and as she yelled "Fire!" he had already fired two shots.

Zoë and Phoebe fired a volley of arrows quickly after, and the monster dissolved into gold dust, only leaving a jacket made of lion fur. The group approached it.

"It's rightfully yours, Annabeth." Zoë noted as she approached.

Phoebe nodded. "You had the idea to use the…" She looked considerate, probably silver packets, it is your spoil of war."

Annabeth looked at the hunter skeptically but grabbed the jacket regardless. She turned to Percy. "Can you light a flame?" A flame erupted from Percy's hand, and Annabeth threw it in. "For Lady Artemis."

The hunters smiled at her sacrifice, and Percy grinned. Annabeth, just like Atalanta had said, would make an amazing huntress. Percy put out the flame as he saw the skeletons entering the room.

"I know where to go." He said urgently, and the group quickly ran after him. "There's a subway up here. Mom took me once."

 _"_ _Come on, Percy! We're going to miss the subway!" Sally Jackson called to her six-year-old son, pulling his hand as they raced towards the subway._

 _Six-year-old Percy smiled. "I'm coming, momma!"_

 _The mother-son pair laughed as they ran through the subway, missing their train._

Percy pushed every thought out of his mind, focusing on the task at hand.

The quest members spent a good portion of the hour switching trains with no regard for where they were headed and avoiding any chance that they could be near the skeletons after them. They sat in a nervous buzz as they all were paranoid.

Everyone except Percy. His mind was only on one thing: his mother. Not Hestia, Sally.

He let a few tears drip from his eyes. For the most part, he was able to keep himself calm. He would always miss his mother more than anything, but he knew better than to wallow in grief.

As far as he knew, he would see her in two years anyway, when he turned sixteen.

Out of all the quest members, Zoë was by far the most concerned. While Phoebe, Thalia and Annabeth were engaged in a conversation about the best weapon to fight with, she slipped over to sit next to him.

Zoë squeezed his hand. "I'm here for you, Percy." She had seen and felt enough grief throughout her lifetime to understand that it was easily the hardest part of life. Her condolences hung in the air, not needing to be spoken.

He wiped away a stray tear, turning towards her with watery eyes and a sad smile. "Thanks."

Percy was glad that Zoë was on this quest with him. To him, she felt like the sole person who understood what hung in the air. He didn't need to explain that the place had brought up memories, and in exchange she didn't even need to give her condolences.

"We're switching trains." Thalia announced, and the group followed after her. Nobody decided to comment on the fact that Zoë and Percy kept by each other's side.


	9. Chapter 9

**Y'all I hate this chapter whoops. It's also really short... Sorry!**

When the group made their way out of the subway there was nothing there. It was a neighborhood of warehouses and freight trains, and looked like none of them had moved in years. Blankets of snow covered the ground leaving them all freezing.

They wandered until they spotted a homeless man surrounding a fire that sprouted from a trash can. "Y'all need to warm up?" He asked, and the quest members huddled around the fire.

"Thank you." Percy said with a smile, least affected by the heat. Fire ran in his veins, and although he could conjure up a flame to keep everyone else warm, it would only deplete his energy for when he needed it.

The man's teeth glinted in the sun as he smiled back. "Glad to see you made it, kid."

They all looked confused. The man waved it off. "My fingers are frozen solid." Thalia remarked, and Zoë gave her a confused look as the metaphor but figured it was just the insanity of the English language. She had just mastered 'you' instead of 'thee,' and of course there were countless more complicated things to learn.

Phoebe both looked miserable. She despised the idea of being this close to a random male, especially since she was already forced to travel with one. She was honestly taken aback as to how Zoë had adapted to this male so quickly. She pushed the ideas of Zoë being in love out of her head, but she couldn't help but feel that it might be true.

Annabeth and Thalia couldn't seem to care who this man was, they felt like they were about to freeze. Thalia was a little miffed that Percy wouldn't light a flame to keep them warm, but understood. Using powers for self-needs never worked, and there always seemed to be some sort of repercussion.

"You kids need a train going west?"

Percy nodded. "Do you know of one?"

The man pointed a hand towards a train. Percy turned to see a glimmering train with all kinds of luxury and the words 'Sun West Line' printed on the side that he hadn't seen before. When he turned to thank the man, he was already gone.

Thalia shrugged and sprinted towards the train. "I call dibs!" Annabeth rolled her eyes and followed, and then eventually Phoebe did too.

"I'll save you a car, Zoë." She called over her shoulder.

Percy turned to the hunter next to him. "Who was that?"

Zoë smiled lightly. "It was Apollo. I do not like him, like most hunters, but I respect him for helping us save Artemis."

He nodded. "Makes sense then." She looked at him in confusion, and he reiterated. "Why he said he was glad to see me. He told me I needed to be on this quest."

She nodded and walked towards the train, Percy following. She sat with Phoebe in a silver Lexus. Percy saw Annabeth and Thalia sitting in a Ford F-150, something Thalia seemed far too excited about. He spotted a Mercedes, and immediately sat in the driver's seat.

He took a minute just to think. He hadn't known any of these people for very long, but he already felt as if he'd known them forever. Annabeth and Thalia were his sisters, while Zoë was… Zoë.

Percy had no idea why he always felt so drawn to her. She understood him without even trying and it was something Percy could have never expected.

The door opened next to him and Phoebe sat down next to him. Percy looked at her as if she'd grown a second eye.

She glared at him. "What is going on with you and Zoë?"

He looked affronted. "What do you mean? She's just my friend."

Phoebe's glare didn't falter. "I have known Zoë for millennia, she does not have male friends."

He shrugged. "I mean I think of her as a friend. Maybe she doesn't think of me that way." He seemed oddly indifferent, but it was truly because he understood that she was a hunter. Having a male friend was out of character for them, and he would understand if she didn't see him as one.

The hunter's eyes narrowed at the boy. He thought of Zoë as a friend but also understood why she would not see him as one. She had never met a male like him before. "Are you a male?"

"Yeah." Percy chuckled. "Can't you tell?"

Phoebe crossed her arms. "Don't insult me!"

"I'm _not_ insulting you!" He protested. "It was a joke!"

The hunter rolled her eyes.

His tone turned sincere. "I'm sorry if I did offend you."

She scoffed. "My feelings are not merely hurt by a male so easily."

Percy threw his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay! Sorry."

"I don't need your apology."

He shrugged. "I expected as much."

Phoebe turned towards the male next to her. "You won't hurt her?" Her tone was meek and Percy's eyes flashed with concern.

"Never." He vowed, looking into the hunter's eyes. "I would never hurt anyone, who didn't deserve it, willingly."

She nodded and opened the car door, then changed her mind and turned towards Percy. "Don't think this means I like you, boy."

With that, Percy was left alone in the car. "That was odd." He remarked, and looked out the window and watched the scenery go by.

* * *

"He is alright." Phoebe claimed as she sat back down next to Zoë. "I guess I can see why you and Lady Artemis approve of him."

Zoë looked taken aback. "I never said I approved of him."

Phoebe laughed. "You didn't need to." She paused for a moment and glanced at Zoë's red face. "You _are_ allowed to see him as a friend, you know."

"I will not betray Artemis."

The hunter smiled. "I know that, Zoë." She grabbed her sister's hand. "I think sometimes you forget how long I've known you."

It was true; they had been friends for over two millennia. They first met when Phoebe joined the Hunt.

 _"_ _Milady, there is someone here." The lieutenant at the time, Thelia, had called to her leader._

 _"_ _Yes, I sense the same presence." The goddess nodded, her hunters at her side. At the time, there were nearly fifty hunters in the ranks. Zoë was at Thelia's side, being the right hand of the lieutenant, even if she had only been in the hunter's ranks for a century._

 _Artemis put a hand up to keep the hunters in silence. They walked in silence with their bows drawn as they advanced on the presence._

 _A scream rung through the forest. The hunters quickly advanced with the swift grace they were known for._

 _"_ _Please!" A girl with ginger hair cried. A man had her backed against a tree and a knife was at her throat. She had obviously done a great deal of damage to the man, who had red mark across his face and a gash on his stomach._

 _"_ _Scream again and I'll kill thee." He said in a deep voice, and the girl had scowled defiantly._

 _A silver arrow pierced the sky and sailed towards the male's arm. Many followed suit and Zoë raced to the maiden in danger._

 _"_ _Zoë!" Thelia yelled as the hunter ran to the shaken girl. "Stand down!" But she did not. She quickly wrapped the girl in a tight embrace._

 _Zoë whispered words of comfort to the shaking girl._

 _Behind them, Artemis stopped a fuming Thelia from reprimanding the hunter._

 _"_ _What is thy name?" Zoë asked._

 _The girl looked up and brushed stray tears from her brown eyes. "Phoebe."_

Even then they had known they would be sisters, the closest of friends. "I do forget, sometimes." Zoë paused and squeezed her hand. "I don't want to ever betray milady, but in a way, he understands me." She looked into her sister in all but blood's eyes. "Just like you."

Phoebe smiled. "You are allowed to have a single male friend of whom Artemis approves."

Zoë hugged her. "Do you approve?"

She sighed. "I have hated males my entire life. I have never questioned this. But, Zo, he will not let you down."

"How do you know?"

Phoebe chuckled lightly. "I don't. But he has spent his entire life being raised by Hestia. And even if I do not believe in the rest of his gender, I believe in him." She looked straight out in front of her, where she could see Percy's car. "But if he ever hurts you, I will rip him to shreds."

"I expect nothing less." Zoë replied with a smile.

Phoebe opened the car door. "I'm going to take a walk." Zoë nodded in understanding. "I am no daughter of that love goddess, but I approve. I do not trust him, but I trust you."

Before she could say anything, Phoebe had slammed the car door shut and was walking between the cars.

Zoë didn't even know what Phoebe had meant. She was _not_ in love with anyone, especially not Percy. She had just met him, and things didn't happen that quickly, ever. She pushed the thoughts of her friendship with Phoebe out of her head.

She was a hunter, sworn to the maiden goddess Artemis. She would never trade that for love with a boy. Having a male friend may be passable, but loving one was not. Artemis would never forgive her.

Percy was her friend, and that was all. Because she knew that he would never try anything. Even if he felt that way.

Did he feel that way? Gods, Zoë sounded like a lovesick child of Aphrodite. She wasn't in love. It was all so wrong. Who was making this happen to her? She must have a talk with the love goddess.

Artemis and Aphrodite had been feuding since the goddess of love made one of her hunters fall in love with a male.

Plus, she would never love a male anyway.

Right?


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm on a train of not liking what I'm writing. Which really sucks, because I want to be proud of what I'm writing for you all!**

 **This is unedited because I honestly didn't want to. I planned to, but I finished this maybe a day or two ago and there is no chance I'm going to edit it at this point.**

 **Just know I love all of you! I don't want to put out bad chapters, but I have faith for the next one. I've been planning for far too long on how I'll execute it so I'm pretty excited. There's a little bit of a hint of what's going to happen! If you can guess what you think might happen next chapter, leave it in a review!**

A bright flash brightened the Mercedes, and the son of Hestia groaned. His eyes opened reluctantly and he brushed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Hey, kid." A voice said and Percy turned to see Apollo.

He bowed his head in respect. "Lord Apollo. What brings you here?"

The sun god chuckled. "Little word of advice. When you finally get to San Francisco—"

Percy's eyebrows furrowed. "San Francisco?"

He looked back in confusion for a second until he realized that Percy knew where San Francisco was, but not that it was where they would be headed. "Yeah, that's where you're going." The god seemed to realize he may have said too much, and his eyes widened. "Uh… I never said that. Swear on the Styx you won't say anything to the other quest members."

"I, Perseus Jackson, son of Hestia, swear upon the River Styx that I will not say anything about the quest going to San Francisco."

The god grinned. "Great! Now, when you get there you've got to find Nereus."

"Who?"

"Old Man of the Sea. He'll answer your one question if you're able to catch him."

Percy still looked confused. "Catch him?"

"You'll figure it out when you find him." The god replied, and before Percy could say anything, the god disappeared in a bright flash.

"That was helpful." Percy said, getting out of the car. The sunlight streamed onto his face and he took a deep intake of breath.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth asked as she sat delicately on the car's hood.

Percy smiled as he opened her eyes at sat next to him. "Enjoying."

She chuckled. "Yeah. I don't really get out much, being stuck in camp and all."

He cocked his head, his eyebrows knit together. "Why?"

Annabeth sighed. "I mean, I've only been on quests with Orion. I've never got to see anything interesting or really take it all in."

He knew better than to ask about her father. "Well, guess we've both never really seen the world."

Now it was Annabeth's turned to be confused.

He noticed her expression. "I mean, I've lived with my mom most of my life, training."

She nodded. "Yeah. All I do at camp is train. I'm tired of being around Orion and feeling cooped up." She paused for a moment and they sat in silence. "I've thought about joining the Hunt." The daughter of Athena added softly.

He smiled brightly. "You should!"

She shook her head. Her voice was small and her figure crumpled. "I could _never_ leave Thalia. She's the only person who's ever been there for me who hasn't left me."

He nodded in understanding. "Have you ever talked to her about it?"

She shook her head. "I know she hates Zoë, and by proxy the hunters. She would never want to."

"Have you ever asked? I mean, I don't know what happened between her and Zoë, but maybe she's changed her mind."

Another head shake.

"Ask her when the quest is over." He advised. "Because I think she doesn't want to be the prophecy's child either."

"Either?" Annabeth asked her head tilted.

Percy cursed his slip. "I just don't know if it goes for me."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not a good liar."

"I'm serious." He attempted, but Annabeth seemed to be done with it now. She had figured out enough.

"Whatever." They sat in silence for a beat. "Do you really think she'll want to join the Hunt to escape the prophecy?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"We're here!" Zoë yelled, and both Percy and Annabeth took the time to look around.

The train was slowing to a stop. The greenery was lush and bright, and a simple sign read: Welcome to Cloudcroft, New Mexico!

Percy's eyes bulged. "How are we already in New Mexico?"

"A god must have interfered."

"But why?" Thalia asked as the train slowed to a stop. They disembarked while Phoebe simply shrugged.

"Let's stop for lunch." Percy suggested as he saw a small coffee shop down the road. He hadn't eaten in a while, and had a strong feeling that summoning food would not be the smartest idea right now. He'd need his powers for later.

Zoë rolled her eyes. "Boys and their stomachs controlling them."

"What, are you not hungry?" Percy asked, and Zoë didn't respond.

They walked in silence to the coffee shop. Cloudcroft was desolate and bare. There were only a few people wandering in the street.

The group entered the coffee shop, sending Annabeth up to order their drinks. The woman behind the counter looked exhausted, but slightly relieved that there were actually customers.

"How do we plan to make it farther west?" Thalia asked.

"I haven't the slightest clue." Zoë responded, her tone confusingly not hostile. "This town is barren."

Annabeth returned with their drinks. Percy immediately reached for the hot chocolate, as coffee was far too bitter for his tastes. Thalia grabbed a coffee as well and Annabeth, and the hunters had tea, as they didn't even know what coffee was.

When Percy adamantly ranted about how terrible tasting it was, the hunters decided that grabbing a cup of tea would be better. Thalia defended her stance, but that only seemed to make Zoë want to get a cup of tea more. Percy resolved that he really needed to figure out why exactly there was so much tension between them.

They vacated the shop, looking around for anything they could do to get out of the desolate town.

"We'll check out the grocery store." Annabeth resolved, pulling Thalia along with her. Before anyone could say anything, they were gone.

"Alright then." Percy said, looking to the two hunters next to him. Zoë seemed relieved that Thalia had left, while Phoebe just looked angry that they were stuck with him.

"I'm going to use the restroom." Phoebe said, and started to walk away. She turned around to look at Zoë. "You coming?"

Zoë hesitated and looked between the two, something that Phoebe didn't miss. She shook her head. Phoebe huffed angrily and walked away without a word. Zoë sat down on the bench, her arms crossed.

"You good?" Percy asked as he sat down next to her.

Zoë looked at him, feigning confusion. "Why would I not be?"

He brushed it off, not wanting to push her on it. "Never mind. But what's between you and Thalia?"

She glared at him, but it was half-hearted. "That is not your problem." She stated, looking away from him.

"You're my friend, Zoë." Percy said sincerely. "So yeah, it is kind of my problem."

"Who said I was your friend?" She asked, far more hostile than she meant it to be. Regardless of her hatred of men, she had come to see the boy as a friend.

Percy bit his lip, and looked away. "I figured you might say that." He said softly. "I understand it though." He didn't know why, but it hurt to hear her say it.

They sat in silence for a moment before Zoë said anything. "That was crude of me. I do see you as a friend, it is just… hard to acknowledge."

Their voices were quiet. "I mean, you've hated men for millennia."

Zoë turned to the boy, and their eyes met, sparkling brown meeting volcanic black. "You are not like them."

Percy broke from the gaze first. His heart was thumping far too fast and he could barely keep his breathing steady. Little did he know, Zoë seemed to be having the same problem.

"Thank you." He said, pink staining his cheeks. "Why is there so much hatred between you and Thalia?"

Zoë blinked at the subject change, and took a deep breath. "We encountered her, Annabeth and Luke while they were running away. Neither of them wanted to join the Hunt and I told her that Luke would let her down."

He looked towards the regretful hunter next to him. He impulsively grabbed her hand, and she turned to him. Her hand was warm in his, and he could feel the calluses from fighting. It was comfortable, and Percy never wanted to let go. "It wasn't your fault, and one cannot blame you." He quickly realized that he was holding a hunter's hand and let go. He felt incomplete, as if he had lost his limb. "Sorry."

The hunter didn't know what to think of the boy's hand in hers. She felt perfectly at home, the callused hand of a fighter in hers was something she had never felt before. "It is alright."

Percy nodded but they sat in an awkward silence. Phoebe returned quickly after, eyeing him in confusion. She seemingly brushed it away and engaged in conversation with her friend. Annabeth and Thalia exited the store, Annabeth holding a plastic rat.

His eyebrows scrunched together as he looked at the two.

"It was depressingly empty." Annabeth remarked. "I decided to buy something."

They grouped up, Percy's now cold cocoa still in his hand. He didn't bother to warm it up, it was a useless display of his powers.

"I haven't the—" Thalia started.

A strong breeze pushed through the area, leaves floating gently through the air. A strong scent of nature overwhelmed their senses.

The robins on Percy's cup materialized and peeled off, flying away into the serene breeze. The quest members could only watch in awe as the events unfolded in front of them.

"He is back." Zoë remarked with a large grin on her face.

Phoebe nodded happily. "I have not felt his presence since his presumed fading!"

Thalia and Percy looked at them confused, but Annabeth understood.

"That was the spirit of Pan, Lord of the Wild."

The group sat in silence for a moment, reveling in the lost god's presence.

A clattering of bones broke anything serene about the moment. All of their heads turned to see the Sparti clambering after him.

"How did they find us so fast?" Thalia cursed as she brandished her mace canister, and the quest members did the same with their respective weapons.

"I have no idea." Annabeth said.

The skeletons walked in a v-formation, weapons in skeletal hands.

A stomping noise was heard in the distance. It drew closer until the group could see a boar in the distance.

The boar destroyed the Sparti's formation, easily crushing them under its hooves.

"Holy Hera!" Thalia shouted, raising her shield to protect herself, but it only seemed to backfire. The boar let out a "REET!" as it charged towards them.

"How can we kill it?" Percy asked.

"We can't! It's the Erymanthian Boar!" Phoebe shouted.

Percy vaguely recalled learning about Heracles' tale of fighting the boar, but couldn't remember exactly how he had defeated it. He was pretty sure that the boar had destroyed a few cities before Heracles had been able to subdue it.

"Do not kill it!" Zoë ordered. "It is a blessing from Pan!"

Percy rolled his eyes. "Some blessing."

The boar lumbered closer and Percy clambered to find an escape. "Follow me!" He yelled, running through the trees. The group travelled with a swift grace that the boar could not match. It was slowed down by the trees which it had to plow down.

They reached the end of forest, slowing as they neared the edge of a steep hill. The boar, unable to stop, flew off the cliff and landed in the soft snow.

"We've got to get down there." Annabeth said, grabbing Thalia's shield. The daughter of Zeus was green, shaking her head.

"I—" Percy grabbed Thalia's hand. Their intertwined hands glowed a soft orange. Zoë felt an uncomfortable knot in her stomach, but brushed it aside.

Percy let go of her hand.

"We have to get down." Annabeth said, sitting at the front of the large shield. "Everybody on."

The group obliged. Phoebe, who was in the back, pushed off and they went flying down. They somehow managed to avoid every major rock and tree, slowing to a stop at the bottom.

They all disembarked, walking over to the boar, who was trapped. There must have been some sort of divine intervention, because the boar was stuck in ice.

"Everybody on." Zoë instructed.

Percy got on first, Zoë and Phoebe soon after. Thalia and Annabeth were slightly more reluctant, but did so anyway.

The second they were all situated, Percy grabbed an apple from his bag.

"Anyone know a way to keep the apple ahead of the boar?" The son of Hestia asked, and Zoë's eyes immediately flickered to Phoebe.

She sighed and grabbed the apple from Percy's hand. She muttered something under her breath and it floated in front of the boar's head.

The boar tried to wildly grab for it, and Percy melted the ice around its feet. The boar went faster than any of them had imagined.

"How did you do that?" Annabeth asked Phoebe, her eyes wide in amazement.

She rolled her eyes. "Hecate is my mother." She said simply, and her tone signaled there were no more questions to be asked.

The creature clambered west, the rushing of the wind giving them no chance to talk. After all, there didn't seem to be many words to be said.


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't hate this chapter! It's very exciting. I'm really proud of this, and it really ended up taking a different turn than I had planned. Also, I can't remember who, but someone was worried I'd abandon this story!  
But don't worry, I have no plan to. Regardless of how little I like some chapters, this story is my baby. Updates may become more infrequent because I'm working on my own original writings.**

Percy awoke just as he was shoved off the boar. Before his eyes were even open, he had his attacker pinned against the ground by their neck.

His eyes snapped open and he snarled—that is, until he realized he was staring into the eyes of Zoë Nightshade. The demigod immediately released his hold and jumped back.

"Oh gods, I'm so sorry!" He said with his eyes wide as he brushed dirt off his jeans. He extended a hand to help Zoë up, and she took it.

She fixed her circlet which had been dislodged. "I'm not waking you up again." She scoffed. "But impressive."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We have to find a way to get farther west."

Percy looked around the area and sighed. The only establishment in sight was an abandoned taco truck. "Damn. I wanted a taco."

Thalia stifled a laugh, but it was fruitless. Percy gave her a quick smile, instantly lightening the impending feeling of doom around them.

The revving of the car engine came from behind them, a bright pink limo speeding closer. When it was in clear sight, Percy realized there was no driver.

It came to an abrupt stop and a burly man exited the side door. Percy's instant feeling of hatred clued him in on the fact that the war god stood in front of him.

Ares looked peeved. His arms were crossed and he was glaring at the demigods. "You," He pointed towards Zoë lazily, and she scowled, muttering something about worthless males. "She wants to talk to you."

"Who?"

"You'll see." The god said, gesturing for her to enter the car.

Percy took a step forward, eyebrow raised. "Excuse me?"

The god cleared his throat and glared at the son of Hestia. "Tell your girlfriend to get in the car."

Percy's mouth dropped and his bow materialized in his hand. He quickly fired an arrow at the god of war, but he was not the only one to do so. Phoebe looked ready to attack, but Zoë had already fired three arrows. Annabeth's dagger was drawn and Thalia's spear looked ready to snap in her vice grip.

"Get out." Phoebe growled, Annabeth and Thalia's matching expressions of disgust agreeing with her.

Before Ares could attack, a woman's voice permeated the tension. "Now, now. No fighting." Her voice was sultry and she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear as she exited the car.

"Aphrodite." Zoë said with even more distaste than Percy thought possible.

The goddess didn't seem to care, or notice, her tone. "I must talk to you, huntress."

She shook her head, and the goddess' eyes hardened.

"Get in the car." She charmspoke.

The hunter didn't move a single muscle, and Percy grinned. Zoë was strong-willed and he wasn't surprised she could resist Aphrodite's charm.

"Leave, goddess." Phoebe instructed, form still and precise.

The goddess of love huffed but made no move to leave. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line as she looked to the group of demigods in front of her. Ares was leaning against the car and gazing lazily out into the horizon.

"I think Zoë was very clear." Thalia snarled. She may not like Zoë, but Aphrodite had no reason to talk to one of Artemis' hunters.

Aphrodite's thin expression turned into a conniving smile. "Don't you want to know why, Zoë?"

Zoë cocked her head, confusion spreading across her face. "What?" She didn't want to think about what the goddess was inching towards—it was far too preposterous.

Her smile grew. "You are not a fool, don't pretend to be."

Annabeth was the only other who seemed to catch on, and she gasped. The goddess turned her eyes to the daughter of Athena, and chuckled. "Yes, the daughter of Athena understands. Isn't it so funny, really?"

Annabeth shook her head vehemently. "Lady Aphrodite, it is time for you to leave."

The goddess sighed and pulled out a nail file, furiously checking her nails. "You may be right."

None of the demigods dared to speak. If Annabeth was going to get the goddess to leave, that was enough. Aphrodite was far more cunning than people gave her credit for—she was here for a reason. And in nearly all cases, demigods never enjoyed the gods' reasons.

"But, huntress, I remind you: I have sworn to stay out of your love lives. I cannot meddle with you, and you'd be smart to remember that." Aphrodite added, turning away from them. "And Zoë," She looked back at her. "Everything is not as it seems." She smiled, disappearing in a puff of pink along with Ares and the limo.

"What was that?" Percy asked, beyond confused. He hadn't exactly understood exactly why the goddess had singled out a huntress. Especially one so against the ideals of love such as Zoë. Yes, she had Percy as a friend—but that didn't change anything. Aphrodite had even seemed to imply that Zoë was in love, and the thought made Percy uncomfortable. Knots pulled at his stomach, and he shoved them away.

Zoë didn't say anything, and looked away. Her eyes fell on the horizon's edge, where she could see a massive junkyard. "There." She said, expertly changing the subject. "The junkyard."

"It must be Hephaestus's." Annabeth added, understanding the hunter's need to change the subject. If she was Zoë, she wouldn't want to talk about it either.

Zoë and Annabeth started walking simultaneously. The three left behind looked at each other curiously, but followed. If they weren't going to talk about it, then they might as well get on with the quest.

"Don't take anything." Annabeth advised when they were all together. "It is defective in some way." They nodded and followed.

The scraping of metal echoed through the junkyard. Heavy, thundering footsteps shook the earth.

"Holy Hera!" Percy cried, noticing the large automaton. "Is that…"

Thalia nodded weakly. "Talos."

"It's far too small, it must be a defective model." Annabeth commented, and the automaton stomped his foot in anger.

"I don't think it likes being called defective." Phoebe said, bow drawn. She and Zoë fired arrow after arrow, yet they did nothing.

The automaton clambered closer. "Who took something!" Thalia cried, but everyone shook their heads.

Zoë growled. "Must have been Aphrodite. This is her husband's machinery."

Talos charged at Zoë, who barely made it out of the way. Phoebe kept firing arrow after arrow, while Thalia and Annabeth tried to distract the machine.

Percy, however, knew that the automaton had some sort of hatch. He had learned a little about machinery from his time with Hestia, as she would occasionally visit Hephaestus in his workshop. He spotted it under the machine's foot as the machine moved to stomp Thalia under its foot. She made it out just in time, but it was far too close.

"Annabeth!" Percy shouted, approaching closer. "Get it to lift its foot."

The daughter of Athena didn't bat and eye and nodded. They needed some sort of escape, and Percy had it.

Percy turned away and immediately focused on the automaton, waiting for the perfect moment.

When he saw his opening, he ran for it. He slipped inside in seconds, making quick work as he climbed into the machine. He made it to the control panel, quickly controlling the machine to get as far away from his friends as possible.

Zoë screamed as she realized what he was doing, and Thalia paled considerably. Annabeth's jaw went slack and Phoebe clutched her sister's hand.

The automaton turned away from them, punching itself in its face. It quickly got out of sight. Zoë collapsed to the ground as she realized that this was exactly as the prophecy was meant to go. Phoebe sat down next to her, her arm wrapped around her friend. Zoë hugged her knees and attempted to brush the streams of tears from her eyes.

Thalia and Annabeth had collapsed next to them, eyes watery. "This cannot be happening." They stood up, knowing that Zoë and Phoebe needed to be alone, Annabeth turned back to the group. "We'll find a car or something."

Zoë's body wracked with sobs. Phoebe held her tightly. Nothing needed to be said between the two.

"It's okay." Phoebe comforted. "You can weep for him; he was your friend." Neither of them wanted to acknowledge Aphrodite's words.

She nodded, brushing Phoebe's comforting arms as she stood up. "I will miss him." She said with determination. Her eyes still shone with tears, eyes puffy. "But he wouldn't want us to wallow."

Phoebe's smile was forced but she was still proud of her friend.

"We found a car." Thalia said, reappearing in a beat-up car. "Let's go." The two nodded and got into the back, and the car speeded away.

* * *

Percy felt the stinging feeling of loneliness as he controlled the rusty machine. The automaton was falling apart at each step, and Percy had to get as far away from his friends as possible.

The machine finally gave out long after he could no longer see his quest mates behind him. It crumbled and Percy quickly fire travelled out of the machine—his final burst of energy spent. He lay near the wreckage, praying that someone could heal him.

His eyes slowly began to shut, but not before he saw a familiar blinding smile and sunny face. "Hey kid. Need some help?"

Percy somehow managed a chuckle as he drifted into unconsciousness.


	12. Chapter 12

**This took so long, and I'm so busy for literally all of April! I hate to say that updates will be very infrequent for a while, but they will. I will hopefully doing a lot of writing, as I'm going on vacation (literally leaving in like three hours)! I cannot promise anything though, because I plan to be reading for most of it. I know that I will have zero free time and I want to get ahead of all of my reading time. So please, enjoy!**

 **And this is unedited. I'm lazy, it's bad.**

Zoë watched as green blobs whizzed in front of her eyes, unable to focus on a single aspect of the nature surrounding the car. Her mind kept going back to him and his death. It was extraordinarily painful, knowing that the only male she could call a friend had died.

She attempted to push away all thoughts of him, but it was fruitless. It had been a blissfully long period in which she didn't have to feel grief, and now it was all coming back.

The dreadful gut wrenching pain and the inexplicable feeling of being empty. Zoë had even started to get along with Thalia and Annabeth, who were experiencing the same grief she was.

"Um…" Phoebe stuttered as she slowed the car to a stop.

Annabeth perked up when she looked up. "Oh my gods!" She gripped Thalia's hand tightly. "1,244 feet long." She breathed. "Began in 1931 and finished in 1936—two years ahead of schedule."

Thalia sighed. "The Hoover Dam." She had heard Annabeth rant about the magnificence of the structure many times.

"We have to stop!" Annabeth shouted, and Phoebe reluctantly halted. Annabeth got out of the car and peered happily up at the dam in front of her, pulling Thalia with her. Zoë and Phoebe followed, leaning against the car.

"Come on, we've got to go further upstream." Annabeth said, and they all groaned but followed. "What, do you want to take the path that's only fit for a satyr?"

They quickly followed, until they came upon a smaller slope leading them to the water. They approached the stream, glad to have finally reached their destination after a half mile of walking.

A girl with sparkling eyes swam up to them, golden hair glittering in the sunlight. Her slightly grim expression was matched by the three girls swimming up behind her.

 _You are the son of Poseidon's friend?_ She asked, in a language that only Zoë could understand. _A daughter of Pleione?_

The hunter ignored her, but nodded. _We need help to make it up the river._ She spoke back, and the naiads immediately pulled them into the water.

Annabeth turned to her in confusion. "How can you speak to them?"

Thalia screamed. Her uncle was known to be nice, but she could not imagine that he would be pleased with her being in his domain.

The naiads spoke and Zoë relayed their message. "Thalia, you will not be harmed by Lord Poseidon." Thalia seemed relieved but did not cease her shaking.

Despite being pushed up the river by a naiad, Annabeth didn't stop her questioning. "How can you speak to them?"

Zoë sighed. "My mother was a water deity." She replied simply, giving the daughter of Athena no room for questioning.

They arrived at the top of the dam, as far as the naiads could take them, and were unceremoniously thrown out of the water by the naiads. Three of the naiads left, leaving just one, who looked at Zoë with a sad smile. _All hope is not lost; the boy resides with the light._

Before Zoë could get a word out the naiad dived back into the water. She sat there confused for a moment, but Phoebe pulled her up.

"Zoë, what did they say?" She asked, but Zoë shook her head.

She matched her pace to Thalia and Annabeth's, who were following the stone path. They walked for about an hour before they reached the visitor's center. Thalia made sure to keep to the middle of the path, and nobody made a comment about it.

"The guardians!" Annabeth exclaimed as they made it to the top. "Gifts from Athena to Zeus when the dam was built."

Phoebe looked at the mortals rubbing the statues' feet. "What are they doing?"

"Rubbing the statues' feet." Thalia chimed in. "They think it's good luck."

The hunter rolled her eyes. "Mortals."

"Let us find the dam snack bar." Zoë suggested, and Thalia burst into fits of laughter, Annabeth following soon after.

Phoebe was just as perplexed as Zoë. "What? She is right. We should find the dam snack bar. We probably won't be able to grab food for a while."

Annabeth burst into laughter once again, while Thalia could stifle her giggles this time. "I need to use the dam restroom."

That set Thalia off, and she collapsed into a fit of giggles. "I need to get a dam t-shirt!"

"Moo," Zoë heard in the distance, and her head snapped behind her, looking for the source of the noise.

"What was that?" Zoë asked, her eyebrows furrowed. "A cow?"

Annabeth's laughter quieted. "A dam cow?"

Zoë shook her head. "Never mind." She said. "Just go inside."

Phoebe opened her mouth but quickly shut it when she saw Zoë's faraway look. She knew her sister better than to think she would tell her what was the matter. She simply nodded and pulled Annabeth and Thalia inside.

Zoë heard the moo again and finally saw it. Floating in the water was a sea-serpent, some sort of cow creature. Its name—and its importance—was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't remember. She cursed and approached.

It gave an urgent moo and swam in circles. The creature seemed sad, as if it had been just given terrible news. Zoë dipped her hand in the water and the animal brushed up against it. It gave a soft and sad moo, as if trying to tell her something.

"I'm sorry, I cannot understand you." She apologized, feeling an odd connection with the creature. The creature resigned and disappeared into the water again.

Zoë sighed and stood up, turning back towards the visitor's center. She slipped into a defensive stance as she heard the clattering of bones and cursed. She ran towards the building and sprinted into the entrance, past the metal detectors and security guards who yelled after her. She made it to the elevator just before the doors closed.

"Does this go to the snack bar?" Zoë asked, and a couple tourists had the audacity to laugh.

"Weren't you listening to my presentation?" The tour guide asked, a mischievous smile plastered on his face, like he knew something she did not. Zoë frowned, but figured it was not the best time to be castrating males. "We're headed for the turbines."

The doors opened and the group piled out, leaving Zoë no choice but to follow. "And miss," The guide said, and Zoë turned. "He's waiting."

Before Zoë could say anything, the doors closed in front of her. She sprinted towards the café, following the twists and turns of the building when she ran into someone.

Zoë immediately had her dagger out and the girl looked at it with wonder. "That's a knife." She said bluntly, sneezing.

"You did not see anything." Zoë said, manipulating the Mist to make the mortal forget what she had seen with a snap of her fingers.

The girl scoffed and snapped her fingers in front of Zoë's face. "Uh… No. I did. Who are you anyway?"

Zoë rolled her eyes but the girl quickly pushed her into the bathroom. "Hide." Zoë was stunned into silence until the girl spoke again.

"Help! There was this girl with a dagger, she was crazy! You need to find her!" The mortal pleaded, and Zoë peeked out to see a Sparti running away. The girl pulled her out of the bathroom with a steely look in her eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" The mortal asked, but Zoë didn't answer.

"Who are you?" She asked instead, and the girl straightened.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

Zoë rolled her eyes. "I cannot stay and chat, but thank you for saving my life."

"What were those things anyway? They looked like…"

"Skeletons?" Zoë suggested, and Rachel nodded. "They were—"

Zoë's eyes bulged. "What?" The mortal asked, but immediately pulled out a Sharpie. "Whatever," She said, grabbing Zoë's arm in a vice grip and writing a phone number. "They're nearing, go!"

The hunter didn't hesitate and took off towards the café. Annabeth, Thalia and Phoebe were just sitting down with their burritos when Zoë ran over. "We've got to go, they're here."

The group nodded seriously and sadly rewrapped their burritos. They sped up the second they heard the clattering of the Sparti.

Outside of the café, they were back to where they started from. The guardians stood in front of them, no escape. "Thalia, pray to your dad." Annabeth suggested, and her friend looked at her curiously.

"What?" She asked.

Annabeth nodded. "The lady at the cafeteria, she was my mom. She said 'there is a way out for those clever enough to find it.' That's the way, your dad will listen."

Thalia rolled her eyes but did so anyway, the skeletons nearing them far too quickly.

The statues sprang to life, abruptly grabbing the quest members and flying into the air. "Ay! Feels good to be back, thanks!" One of them said.

"I needed this." The other remarked. "Now come on, we're heading west."

* * *

Percy's eyes fluttered open and he groaned. Everything around him was so bright and his energy still hadn't recovered.

Apollo stood over him with a sly grin on his face. "Hey kid."

Percy rubbed his temples. "What? Apollo?"

The god smiled. "Yup. You almost died, kid."

"Do they think I'm dead?" The son of Hestia asked nervously, sitting up in bed.

Apollo nodded. "Zoë has been given many hints as to the fact that you're not; I believe that she questions it."

The demigod grinned. He didn't want her to think that he was dead. "So when can I get back?"

The god chuckled with a smile, putting a hand to Percy's head and instantly replenishing his powers. "I mean, I don't know where the quest is headed." He said with a wide grin. "But if you tell me where you want to go, well, I'll flash you there."

Percy grinned wildly, catching the god's path of logic. "San Francisco, please." He replied, recalling what the god had told him.

The god smiled and with a flick of his hand Percy disappeared in a flash of gold.

"Nice to be back." Percy said, seeing his quest mates flying above. "Really nice."


	13. Chapter 13

**Another chapter, one that I actually really like. I barely skimmed through it, because I'm lazy, but whatever.** **It's a massive Word document, 53 pages, and it's quite daunting. Most of my chapters will likely be unedited, if you haven't already noticed.** **I've also been writing another beginning to a fanfic because I ran into a wall with this story. I really don't know where it's going, but I likely won't upload it.**

 **Also, we hit 90 reviews! This story has gotten far more favorites and follows, and I wanted to let you all know that I appreciate each and everyone of you.**

Regardless of what Percy wanted, he needed to make it to Mount Othrys. Having already talked to Nereus, he knew there was no way he could stop and talk with his friends.

Apollo was right, Nereus was helpful. Percy had asked what the bane of Olympus was, and had learned that it was Bessie the sea serpent. Having spent too much time in the library, he realized it was the Ophiotarus, the innocent monster that could destroy the world.

Kneeling by the water, he called for Bessie. She quickly appeared and seemed happier now that she had seen Percy. "Hey girl!" He said happily, letting the creature rub against his hand.

He closed his eyes, and prayed to his father. _Lord Poseidon, please keep Bessie… I mean the Ophiotarus, safe and out of Kronos' hands. I have nothing to offer, but think of your absence in my life forgiven._ Percy prayed to his mother that his father would listen.

With a flurry of bubbles, Bessie disappeared. Percy smiled and muttered a thank you, standing up and cursing as he saw his quest mates behind him.

He quickly disappeared in a flash of flames, hoping that nobody had seen him.

Zoë noticed flames out of the corner of her eye and turned, sheathing her dagger. Her eyes widened in recognition as she saw the faintest outline of a human.

She felt a pang in her chest as it reminded her of her lost friend. She tried to believe that he wasn't dead, but it felt like she was only giving herself false hope. But part of her felt that he must be alive. What else could be the fire?

She felt Phoebe's hand on her shoulder and turned. "Are you alright?"

Zoë nodded, turning away from where she had seen the flames. "Yeah." She paused, regaining her bearings. "Have they gotten the car?"

Phoebe nodded just as the car pulled up. Thalia rolled down the driver's window. "Get in, we've got to get to Mount Othrys."

Once they were all settled in, Thalia drove off. "Why does Zoë look like she'd been slapped?" Thalia asked, glancing in the mirror at her crestfallen face.

Zoë disagreed, she most definitely did not look like she'd been slapped. If she had been slapped, she would be clutching her dagger and most definitely attacking the person who had slapped her.

Phoebe, having known Zoë for millennia, voiced her thoughts. She then launched into a conversation about how Zoë _had_ seemed off in some way, and Zoë scoffed.

"I'm sitting right here." She commented.

The car sat in silence until Annabeth turned from the passenger's seat to look at Zoë. "Zoë, what's wrong?"

She looked out the window. "I think Percy is alive."

Thalia pulled the car over. "What do you mean, you think Percy is alive? We all saw him die!" Thalia all but yelled, her voice breaking.

Annabeth grabbed Thalia's hand. "Thals, Zoë doesn't mean to upset you." She reasoned, voice soft.

A tear slipped from Thalia's eye but she nodded. "I'm sorry." She muttered, brushing it away.

Zoë smiled sadly. "No, I shouldn't have told you. It's holding onto false hope."

"What did you see?" Phoebe asked, the only one who wasn't too affected by Zoë's words. She tolerated Percy, that was all.

Zoë took a deep breath. "The tour guide and the naiads hinted about it. And I saw something—flames—before you came up. Like fire travel."

Annabeth looked out of the window. "I don't want to have false hope, okay? But what did they say?"

"The tour guide said 'he's waiting,' and the naiad was far more helpful. She said 'all hope is not lost; the boy resides with the light.' I remember it because it was so weird."

"The light?" Annabeth said, a grin forming on her lips. Zoë nodded, and Annabeth's grin grew. "The light! It must be Apollo!"

Zoë looked at her for a minute. "It makes sense."

Annabeth turned to Phoebe, looking for an unbiased opinion, and Phoebe rolled her eyes. "It makes sense, Zoë's right. Why else would two people bother to tell Zoë this? The tour guide was probably Apollo." Phoebe paused. "But how would he survive?"

They all turned to Annabeth. "Apollo is a god." She stated simply. "He's also the god of medicine, he could've saved Percy."

"But why?" Thalia asked, her voice far softer than before. "I mean, Percy's practically my brother, but why would Apollo save him?"

Annabeth didn't have anything to say to that. Percy was a demigod, and gods didn't tend to care about demigods.

Zoë cursed, realizing why Apollo might save the demigod. If he truly was meant to be the prophecy child, he would know. Apollo would likely save him, just as the fates wanted in the end.

On top of this, Percy was Hestia's only child—albeit by adoption—and biologically Poseidon's son. Zoë knew that Zeus had never been a father to Artemis nor Apollo, and Poseidon had helped them assimilate to the godly lifestyle. Although Artemis no longer talked with Poseidon as much, she had no idea if the same went for Apollo.

Hestia was also regarded as one of the kindest goddesses on Olympus. There was not a single god or goddess who could speak ill will of her. It wouldn't become as a surprise to Zoë if Apollo would save her child.

"Zoë?" Annabeth asked, curiosity leaking into her voice.

"Apollo has a reason." She stated.

"And that reason is?" Annabeth goaded, anxious to know the answer.

Zoë shook her head. "Drive. We're heading to Mount Othrys." She stated. "I can't tell you, so just drive. If I'm right, he'll be there."

She had no idea if he'd be there, but it was their best bet. She wasn't about to tell them all that Poseidon was his father.

Nobody moved. "Look," Zoë said, taking on a softer turn. "I would tell you if I could, okay? Can we just go?"

Neither of them seemed sated with her answer, but Thalia sped away, hoping that he would be there.

Percy reappeared in the beauty of Mount Othrys, gazing upon the beauty of the Garden of the Hesperides. The tree glistened with golden apples, the one-hundred headed dragon wrapped around its trunk.

He bowed his head in respect to the dragon—the fierce creature had been protecting the tree for its entire life. It was a feat Percy had to respect.

The four guardians of the garden stood in front of him. Each of them looked remarkably like Zoë, forcing Percy to realize how beautiful the hunter truly was.

They had coppery skin and the same volcanic eyes as Zoë, their hair flowing down their backs. Although they looked similar, they each held themselves differently. Percy was glad he had learned each of their names, as he could tell they would not tolerate his idiocy.

"Who are you?" Aegle asked. "Have you come for the apples?"

Erytheia chuckled. "Of course he has, sister. They all do."

"Do not be so quick to judge, sister." Hesperia chided, dark hair flying as she shook her head. "He is likely here for the goddess."

Four sets of eyes turned to Percy. "So?" Arethusa asked, goading him on.

"I am Percy Jackson, adopted son of Hestia. I'm here for Lady Artemis, and I am not the only one. Two demigods and two hunters will be coming soon." They collectively rolled their eyes, but Percy continued before they could say anything. "One of them is your sister, Zoë."

Aegle's faced hardened. "She is not our sister." Erytheia nodded in agreement, while Hesperia winced and Arethusa looked away.

"Aegle," Percy started, and Aegle was taken aback to hear that he knew her name. "She regrets what she did, Heracles manipulated her. A true family would not turn their back on her."

Hesperia looked to Aegle. "You were so quick to abandon her, sister. Even you, Erytheia, after Aegle renounced her." Aegle looked away and Erytheia deflated. "Is she alright, Percy?"

He nodded softly. "She is the lieutenant of the Hunt. She has found happiness in the mortal world." Hesperia smiled softly, but none of the other Hesperides had a visible reaction. "Aegle, Erytheia, Hesperia, Arethusa, you have to let them through."

The Hesperides all looked to each other. "Aegle." Arethusa spoke up, features soft. "Zoë is our sister, no matter what. We cannot renounce her for the rest of our lives. She is here to save Artemis and she will."

"What is the prophecy?" Aegle asked, turning to Percy.

Percy recited the prophecy, and the Hesperides paled as they heard Zoë's prophesized death.

"She will die." Erytheia took a deep breath.

The son of Hestia shook his head. "I will not let her die; she is my friend."

"Your friend?" Arethusa asked, eyebrows furrowed. "You are a male, and she is a hunter."

Percy looked away. "Yeah, and I haven't known her for long, but she's my friend. At first she didn't like me, which is to be expected of a hunter, but Artemis told the hunters to tolerate me. Despite her hatred of males, she treated me with an odd version of kindness.

"We agreed on a lot of things, like how Dionysus was a jerk and that fathers were rocky territory. We both had the same dream about Artemis, about her capture, and I told her that even if there was no prophecy I would help her find Artemis, and it was true.

"After the Capture the Flag game, the prophecy was revealed. I told her my real parentage, and why I needed to be on the quest." Percy chuckled. "She slapped me the second I said it. She already knew about my past, but she shared hers. I told her I wouldn't let her die on this quest, and I won't. She didn't ignore me on the quest either, she even said that I was her friend too. And gods, did it feel nice to hear. She talked to me and told me why she and Thalia didn't get along." Percy took a deep breath.

"And then when I presumably died in Hephaestus' Junkyard, I heard her scream, right before I fire travelled out of the machine and Apollo saved me. Gods, it hurt. Like part of my soul was being ripped out of my chest."

Percy realized just how long he had been talking for. "Oh gods, that was a lot."

Aegle smiled. "Our sister will be safe in her passage to the mountain."

Erytheia nodded as well. "Her quest mates as well, if they do not attempt to steal golden apple."

Percy nodded seriously, nodding his head in thanks.

"Percy?" Hesperia asked, a smile on her lips. "I am glad she has you as a friend. I trust you will protect her."

He nodded. "I will."

The leaves crunched behind them, the footsteps and murmurs of the quest members behind Percy and the Hesperides.

The demigod turned and immediately his eyes landed on Zoë, who hadn't even noticed her sisters. A breath was caught in her throat and she was torn between running over to Percy and hugging him or slapping him.

Annabeth and Thalia wanted to run over and hug the boy they considered to be their brother, but knew that Zoë was the one he needed to see first.

Neither of them were idiots. Zoë and Percy had something special—whether it was romantic or not.

Zoë marched over and slapped Percy, who only grinned.

"You complete idiot! You made me think you were dead! What in the gods' name is wrong with you?" She yelled, her face red. A single tear dripped down her cheek and Percy pulled her into a hug. Instead of slapping him again, she hugged him back.

"I missed you too, Zoë." He mumbled into her hair.

And for that one moment, everything was okay.


End file.
